


A little bit of sunshine

by sakurachi28



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Female Hinata Shouyou, Gen, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-07-28 06:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 93,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16236320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakurachi28/pseuds/sakurachi28
Summary: A series of oneshots wherein the main protagonist/the little crow is a girl."Nice serve, Kageyama-kun!" his loud partner shouted. "You're really the coolest!""W-What are you saying b-boke!"





	1. Apple of the eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Haikyuu**

**This fic has been on my mind for the longest time and I'm itching to write it. Also, there's not much genderbender fics out there, so here you go. :-)**

**Basically, this is what I think will happen if the main protagonist is a female. Sorry in advance if you think some characters are OOC. :-)**

1.

* * *

Suga never thought that being a vice-captain- _slash_ -babysitter of the team- _slash_ -mom of the team (as Nishinoya always calls him-though the reason behind it, he doesn't know) will cause him to age like twenty years in advance and gain a reputation within just a week of the training camp.

The reason? His kohais(though obviously it's _always_ about them and _God help him_ \- if his silvery-white hair can only turn whiter), and nothing prepares him from what he is seeing in the afternoon of the fourth day of the training camp.

Even Daichi, the strong-willed, responsible, often calm but _slightly_ scary third year captain of the team is gaping at the sight while sitting down on the floor to rest. Asahi, who is doing the same thing, turned his gaze on what their captain is staring at and immediately gaped like a fish.

Near them sitting on the bench, Coach Ukai has his mouth open, apparently to say something, but can't seem to form any words as he too was confused and appalled. Beside him, Takeda just sweatdropped.

Tsukishima tries to wear an indifferent expression, but the slight widening of his eyes betrayed his true reaction to the current situation. His bestfriend though- _please bless the poor Yamaguchi_ , cannot stop his squeak and red face, his face torn between embarrassment and awe.

The three second years, namely Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita, all in turn switched their bewildered gazes from the current center of all attention to the two unnamed second years, who we all know is the most troublesome duo. The two both look excited and doesn't bother to hide their awe, oblivious to the fact that Suga is drilling a hole on their faces.

"Ohhh! She really did it! I need my camera for this!"

"Wow, Shoyou! You look-"

"What's the meaning of this?" the vice captain calmly asked, though the overwhelming dark aura he's producing causes the Karasuno's wing spiker and libero to flinched at the sight. Neither of them can utter a word as Suga started to smile _sweetly_. "What did you made Hinata do?"

"I think it's obvious, Suga-san." Ennoshita deadpanned. He looked around trying to find their main setter, wondering how he would react to this. He noticed the other teams also staring in their direction, and he thought he heard someone shouted " _Unfair!"_ from the group of cats. _How troublesome._

The team had just finished their tenth match for the day (which they lost _again_ against Nekoma), and they have one more to go before practice day ends. Apparently, the Karasuno team added one more punishment for their team, particularly on one person who will make the most errors on their tenth game (the one who's behind this ridiculous idea-he doesn't know or bother to remember). The loser will pick a dare and needs to do it before the day ends.

And well, guess who lost.

As if on cue, the missing raven-haired first year appeared from the bathroom after a quick break. There's a visible tick mark on his forehead as his face is wearing its usual frown. "Hinata-boke! Where have you- huh?!"

He stopped, eyes staring at the strange sight before him. No, strange was not the right word, rather, it's... breathtaking.

Hinata Shoyou, though biologically a female at birth and possessing one of the cutest faces on earth (something Tsukishima and Kageyama would never admit) is not known for being a normal, girly, highschool girl. While most of the girls around her age would like to think about romances and like to wear skirts and dresses, Hinata would rather think about volleyball and usually wears a simple shorts and a bit of an oversized shirt so she can play her beloved sports with ease. She usually hangs out with boys and rarely talks to girls (except Yachi and Kiyoko), is usually loud and competitive, and most of all-oblivious to affections and stuffs about teenage love. Such characteristics make her teammates _almost_ forget she's not a dude, and only on sudden occasions like a beaming smile, pouting face, and _ehem, womanly curves_ will wake them back to reality.

However, this reality hit them hard like a wave on the face today, as the blushing form of the said girl fidgeted from her place inside the gym while wearing a cheerleading outfit. _A black cheerleading outfit_. Where she got those clothes from, they don't know.

Wearing her hair today into two pigtails tied by two black ribbons, she had her arms wrapped around her midriff, trying to cover the exposed area of her skin where her cheerleading top stopped at its length. Her black skirt, though not very short, still reveals her white legs and her feet are wearing a pair of white sneakers.

Still with an embarrassed face, she looked into Suga's eyes and slightly whimpered. "S-sorry Suga-san. I have no other choice... it's not like I like this either?"

"Still... coming up with this kind of dare..." Suga glared at the two masterminds again.

"W-well... it's not like we asked her for this kind of dare either!" Tanaka gulped while sweating nervously. "She picked from the box remember..."

"H-hai! She just unluckily picked the wrong punishment." Nishinoya shakily added, clinging to his friend. _Suga-san is so scary!_

"Well, what do we do? You can't play in... that."

"WHAT?!" Instantly, Karasuno's main setter, who were frozen just earlier, stomped towards them with an annoyed face.

"K-Kageyama!" she shrieked and hide behind Suga.

"BOKE! GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT OFF NOW!"

"Wh-what? Kagayema, you pervert!"

"N-NO!" Kageyama flushed red, realizing his wrong choice of words while everyone gave him a look of pure shock. Except for Tsukishima, who is snickering. "I- I mean go somewhere! And change!"

"Hahaha... never knew you had it in you, King."

"Shut up you-"

"OI!" all of the Karasuno players almost jumped at Ukai's voice, who, after hearing what happened, suddenly looks livid. "Why are you all playing around, huh? We're here to practice, not play dares!"

"S-Sorry!" Hinata squawked, looking scared and ready to cry.

"But Ukai, our match is about to start..." Takeda-sensei informed the fuming coach. And true, while the Karasuno members are still dealing with the problem at hand, their opponents were already positioned on the other side of the net. It doesn't mean though that they're not staring. Actually, they're all staring so hard with reddened cheeks at their female player that Takeda-sensei is starting to get nervous.

As if he has a sixth sense, Sugawara turned to the Shinzen players and glared. "What are you all staring at?"

Instantly, the Shinzen team looked away, getting chills all around their body. _That nice guy is so scary!_

"Well, ehm... let's go and play as well..." Daichi decided, gesturing for his teammates to get on their position. He stopped in front of Hinata and gave her a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic glance. "Sorry Hinata, looks like you'll not be playing for this game."

The girl pouted before nodding solemnly. As her teammates we're getting ready, she walked towards their two managers to join them. She sighed.

"Are you okay?" Yachi asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I lost so I have to do this punishment. No matter how embarassing this is." she voiced quietly. "But I'm dissappointed I can't play. I need to help the team."

Kiyoko hummed, assessing Hinata's appearance and then looks towards the game which is about to start. She noticed Kageyama looking at their direction, frowning as usual and even Tsukishima took a quick glance before staring ahead.

"It's not like you cannot support the team from the sideline." she stated, giving the middle blocker a smile.

"What do you mean Shimizu-senpai?"

"Well, a little cheer would help." the third year continued to smiled cheekily. "Especially from you."

* * *

"Oya, oya... this is interesting." The black-haired captain of the Nekoma team commented while watching the two teams playing the last match of the day. "Who knows that they have something like this planned huh? Those devious crows."

"It doesn't look like a plan." Kenma stated, brows furrowed while watching. At their side, Yamamoto is whimpering hopelessly, tears comically leaking from his eyes as Yaku scolds him to shut up. Lev, as usual, looked excited. "Hina-chan looks so cute! I'll ask her to cheer for me too!"

"Oh?" Kuroo turned towards his friend and grinned upon seeing his expression. "What's with that face? You looked so mad."

"Suga-san doesn't seem to like the idea, based on how he's scaring the other team right now." the Nekoma setter muttered, after giving Lev a look. "And I'm not mad."

"Well, if you say so."

Kuroo of course didn't believe his bestfriend on his denial. He smirked to himself as he watched his friend grew more and more irritated at the sight before him.

Suprisingly, the Karasuno team is leading the game even without the decoy playing for the team. Though it's almost the end of the day, the crows seems more energetic and focused than ever, including the orange-haired girl cheering at the background. Yes, that must be it.

He remembered from one of Yamamoto's useless squabble that a girl's cheer can give him the strength to win everything, even the Nationals. Given that it's the mohawk who's speaking, he tossed the comment aside and punished the guy with ten laps for being noisy.

However, looking at what's happening now, he wonders if it's true.

A loud thud was heard as the ball hit by Karasuno's baldy wing spiker bounced from the ground on the Shinzen's side of the court. In an instant, Tanaka's roar of victory was heard all over the gym, followed by a loud cheer from the sideline.

"Nice spike! You're so amazing, Tanaka-senpai!"

Kuroo saw the player's face immediately reflect pure delight at being called a senpai, especially by his cute kohai. "I know, right? Hahaha!"

"How about me, Shoyou?!" Nishinoya interjected with a hopeful face.

"Of course you're also amazing!" Hinata Shoyou praised, eyes starry and filled with awe, jumping up and down even with her skirt. "The way you dive for the ball is so gwaahhhh! And then it went up like zooommm! You're one of the best liberos in the world, Noya-senpai!"

As if struck by cupid's arrow, the libero stepped back clutching his chest, face red, and lips trembling. Beside Kuroo, Kenma's eyes narrowed, and it took him a lot of self-control to not burst out laughing.

A whistle was heard signalling the start of a serve from Karasuno's side, and everyone reverted back to their positions. Kageyama held the ball in his palm, and took a deep breath.

The ball was thrown up, followed by the rise of his body, and the moment ended with a service ace spiked on the other side of the court.

"Nice serve, Kageyama-kun!" his loud partner shouted. "You're really the coolest!"

"W-What are you saying b-boke?!" the setter's face defies description, not used to the praise being thrown his way.

"Damn it... this is so unfair!" someone cried from the Shinzen team, and the Nekoma captain pitied them a bit.

As it turns out unexpectedly (or not), Karasuno won their last match for the day, and it's all thanks to the maximum effort of the team, plus the cheerful support of their decoy. Everyone was praised, even Tsukishima (whose expression remained nonchalant but the tips of his ears red everytime he remembered the decoy calling him 'Tsuki').

While everyone is getting ready to end the day by tidying up the gym, Kuroo looked to his left and found his friend missing. Further search with his eyes lead him to seeing the pudding head approaching Karasuno's middle blocker, and he snickered. Oh, how he will tease him about this later.

Kenma, on the other hand, is oblivious to Kuroo's stare at his back, his attention focused solely on his girl friend picking some stray balls on the corner of the gym. For some reason, he was bothered by what his friend is wearing (not that he thinks she's not cute- hell, he actually almost had a heart attack the first time he saw her outfit). Hesitantly, he approached her, feeling wary of her teammates' curious glances.

"Shoyou."

Instantly, the girl spun around and beamed upon seeing him. "Kenma! What's up?"

The pudding head heard his heart skipped a bit, and tried to look anywhere but her face, but then just settled on looking at her face (looking anywhere in her body seems to be worse- he can see too much skin and it's enough to turn his face as red as his jacket). "W-why are you wearing something like that?"

"Oh... this." Hinata looked embarassed again. "I lost a bet."

"Oh."

"Yes. Hahaha..."

An awkward silence followed as Hinata just stared at her friend, who looks to be debating with himself about something.

"Uhmmm.. Kenma-oh?!"

"Here." As soon as Hinata started speaking, Kenma removed his jacket and handed it to the girl in front of him. "Wear it. I don't want you catching a cold."

"O-okay." She took the clothing from him and in the background, someone gave a faint shout of protest.

"Just return it to me tomorrow." he said, turning his back to her and walking away. He needs to get out of here, away from the prying eyes of everyone in the gym who saw his action. Honestly, he didn't know why he did it either. This is so unlike him.

Heading back towards his teammates, he heard the girl shouted his name and he turned around. His eyes widened.

There, all in her orange and red glory, stood the girl wearing the jacket. _His jacket._ Kenma is not a tall person but since the girl is shorter than him, his jacket seems bigger on her, hiding her upper body and half of her skirt when she zipped it up.

"Thank you! You're so sweet!"

Caught off guard, he didn't answer and instead, run away, out of the gym, face in flames.

Anyone who witnessed the boy dashed away stay silent and did not comment. Though several seconds later, someone guffawed loudly from the group of cats.

* * *

**Poor Kenma. :-)**

**See you on the next one-shot!**


	2. Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is Karasuno-centric.
> 
> And again, I do not own Haikyuu. Though if I have a choice, I want to adopt the chibi and blueberry boy, coz' why not? They're so adorable. Oh, and the french fry too. And the cinnamon roll. :-3

2.

_Not everyday is a sunny day._

* * *

She's not in the mood today.

Kageyama watched as the gingerhead player tried to hit the ball he set, and failed.

And then again.

And again.

And again. For like the tenth time.

And for each failed attempts, her expression looked more and more frustrated, her usual sunny expression is gone. She panted and turned to look at him sharply. "Again."

He gritted his teeth as he grabbed the ball. Knowing his personality and temper, it's a miracle that he's not snapping at her yet. However, it doesn't mean that his patience is not running out.

How long will it be before she can hit the ball properly? He's getting tired as well and her snapping to him is not helping. He run his mind, trying to think what could have caused her bad mood.

Is it because he beat her to the race yesterday? Or is it because he got a higher grade than her in English? But nah, she's in a good mood just this morning. So what the hell is happening?

Watching as the girl took some quick strides forward and jumped, he tossed the ball just a few inches away from the net, and at the same time, Hinata's arm swung and finally hit the ball. However, it came with too much force and went out of bounds.

Frustrated, he went to get another one.

They tried again for a few more times (and failed) before Kageyama decided that he can't take it anymore.

"Oi, Hinata." he called loudly, tone clearly expressing his irritation."When are you planning to hit the ball properly?"

She turned to him, scowling. "I'm planning to hit it. Can't you see I'm trying?"

"Looks like it's not happening anytime soon, dumbass." He retorted. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It's none of your concern." she replied, looking away.

"What?!" he snapped, offended. "Look, if you're not going to do this properly, we're just wasting our time!"

"I'm trying my BEST!" she shouted, shocking not only Kageyama, but everyone in the gym. They all turned to look at the arguing pair, wondering what's going on.

The setter's eyes widened for a second, but he recovered quickly and returned her glare. "Best? You're better than this dumbass. "

"I know! Just toss that ball here and I'll soon get to it!"

"I'm not planning to toss to anyone who can't even score. Dumbass."

"What did you say?!" She made a move towards him, but instantly, she recoiled, clutching her stomach. Tanaka, the one who reached them first, stepped in between.

"Oi, oi, oi," he intervened, having heard enough of their spat. "Stop fighting or else coach and Daichi-san will be angry. Kageyama, you should not talk to a girl like that."

He gestured to the bench where Coach Ukai and Professor Takeda are watching. The other members already stopped what they're doing to observe. Yachi, on the other hand, is torn between staying silent or interfering, since she knows exactly what's happening to the other girl.

Kageyama decided to ignore his senpai's last comment and glared at their small middle blocker. "How are you planning to score a point if you cannot hit a ball properly? Go and fix your own issue and stop screwing around!"

Nishinoya started to move forward, frustrated. "Oi, Kageyama-"

"Stop being a king and just toss to me, damn it!"

"HAH? What did you just call me?"

"Stop it, you two!" Daichi shouted, having enough.

"OI! GO BACK TO PRACTICING!" Coach Ukai yelled at the same time.

The two stopped shouting, but they continued to glare at each other. Still frustrated, Kageyama is the first one to step back as he picked the ball from the gym's floor.

"Just like what I said, I will not toss to you. Not before you fix your mood, dumbass." He turned around, deciding to take a quick rest.

But then suddenly, he heard someone sniffling, and he stilled. _Don't tell me…_

He decided to look back and an alarmed expression appeared on his usual grumpy face.

Hinata is still staring at him, but this time, with tear-filled eyes. Her sniffling got louder, and everyone just froze, unsure of what to do. Even Tsukishima, who often teases the girl, was startled, not a word coming out of his mouth. Beside him, Yamaguchi just stared at the girl worriedly.

Tanaka, who is the closest to the girl, turned to look at his bro, his eyes desperately asking what to do. Unfortunately, the libero also has no idea as he is not used to seeing a girl crying. He just stood there with a bewildered expression beside Daichi, who in turn looked at Suga. Sugawara seemed to snapped out of shock and decided to step in, but not before Kageyama beat him to it.

The said setter took quick strides towards the girl with a panicked look on his face. "Look… I didn't mean to shout at you. Just… just stop crying…"

She hiccuped, and raised her hand to her face to wipe away her tears. "Bakeyama… you're so mean…". She continued crying.

"Hi-hinata…oi-"

"K-kageyama-kun."

Yachi and Kiyoko were suddenly beside them, the latter giving him a scolding look.

"We'll be talking to Hinata, so you can rest for now." Yachi took Hinata's hand from her face and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "We'll be back soon."

"Coach, Sensei, please excuse us." Kiyoko turned to the two adults in the room. The two, who were as shocked as the rest just a few moments ago, gave nods of approval. With that, the three girls of the volleyball team stepped out, leaving in the gym the remaining male members of the team.

Having just recovered from his stupor and with the crisis now averted, the libero glared at his kohai. "Kageyama, what the hell?"

Instantly, the setter felt guilty. "S-sorry… she suddenly shouted at me and I…I didn't know she'll cry…"

"Kageyama." He felt a hand on his shoulder to see Suga looking at him seriously. "I understand that you're frustrated but maybe, you should have adjusted your tone a bit."

"Y-yeah…"

"But isn't it weird?" Yamaguchi piped in, looking uncertain as everyone stares at him. "I-I mean, some of your fights are more intense than that. This is the first time I saw her crying because of that…", he trailed off. He glanced at Tsukishima who has been silent the entire time. Sensing his friend's look, the blonde just sighed before mumbling. "Maybe it's the time of the month."

Realization dawned on the faces of the players and some of them even have some 'oh' expressions.

It took a bit longer for him to realize what it means, but when it does, Kageyama felt his cheeks glowed with embarrassment.

_Oh. Oh._

_The heck, how am I supposed to know that?_

Daichi coughed awkwardly and patted Kageyama on the shoulder. "Well… you heard that. You know what to do."

* * *

"Yachi-san… it still hurts."

Kageyama's grip on the ball tightened as he heard the suffering tone of the girl sitting on the bench a few steps away from him.

It's been nearly half an hour after they came back, and Tsukishima's statement appears to be true. The girl has been suffering from painful cramps all along, and learning about it adds more to the guilt he felt. He stole a glance towards the girl who currently has her hands on her abdomen, looking worse than before. Yachi , who is currently sitting beside the girl, whirled her head to the left to give the orange-haired girl a sympathetic look. "Oh Hinata… Don't worry, it'll go way soon… you have taken the medicine, right?"

The decoy just nodded and suddenly winced at the sudden wave of pain. "I think I'm dying…"

"Stop overreacting." Tsukishima interjected as he got near their bench to get his bottled water.

"You're just saying that because you don't know how it feels."The girl muttered under her breath.

"Tch." The blonde megane puts back the cap on his drink. "Just put on a hot compress or something, instead of whining."

"How did you know stuffs like that?!"

The blonde turned away immediately instead of answering, the tip of his ears red. The only one who noticed this is Yamaguchi, who is trying hard to stifle his laughter. No, he was totally not laughing at his friend, who he saw Googling something earlier. No, he definitely was not finding this amusing.

Hearing the blonde's suggestion, Nishinoya stepped in, ready to help his dear kohai. "I'll get it for you, Shoyou!" he exclaimed before pointing at himself. "Let your senpai take care of you!"

Tanaka, the ever reliable senpai, also piped in."You want me to buy you something to eat?"

"I heard drinking chamomile tea also helps." Ennoshita added.

"Chamo- what's that?"

"Haha I don't know. I heard my sister mentioned it one time though."

While his other teammates including the captain and vice captain fussed over Hinata, Kageyama glared at the ball in frustration. _I also want to help… but I don't know how…_

The sound of a door being opened caught his attention, and he saw Kiyoko stepping outside to hang some laundry. He stared at her back for a few seconds before standing up and making a decision.

* * *

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Hinata stepped out of their school's gate to go home. Her teammates were still inside the gym, practicing ( _save for Kageyama, who went home earlier than usual_ ) and as much as she disliked it, she has no choice but to leave early to the insistence of Coach Ukai and Professor Takeda. The pain she felt earlier is almost gone by now, and she's thankful for all the help of her team. As embarrassing as it was, she appreciated it.

Turning to a corner that leads to the main street, she paused as she saw a familiar figure going towards her direction. The said figure also noticed her looking, and he stopped a few meters in front of her. And they just stared.

Almost a minute passed by with neither of them moving, before Kageyama cleared his throat and held up his hand to give Hinata a small plastic bag. Confused, the girl just took it from him and peeked inside. Her cheeks instantly colored as he stared at the setter with surprise. "Wha- Why?"

"Uh…" He started, refusing to meet her eyes. "Uhmm… sorry about earlier. For shouting at you I mean."

"Oh." She responded, staring at his equally flushed face. _So this is what he meant when he said he has something important to buy._ "This is not necessary… but thanks."

An awkward silence followed after that. She shifted from her place and glance at the bag in her hand, then back to him again. He's still not looking at her. Sighing deeply, she broke the silence.

"Listen Kageyama. I'm sorry as well… for snapping at you earlier. And for calling you with that nickname."

"No. It was my fault." Slowly, he glanced at her."It's the setter's job to observe the condition of his spiker. It's obvious that I failed."

She blinked and laughed softly. "Then I guess we both messed up, eh?"

"I guess…"

"Hehe. I forgive you then. Forgive me too?"

"Y-yeah."

She grinned at him widely and then pointed at what he gave her. "And again, thanks for this. I didn't know you could be this sweet though. How unusual."

His face returned to its usual grumpy look as he scowled and glared at her (his cheeks are still red though). "Stop teasing me."

"Okay, sorry." She giggled. "But seriously, why did you buy me chocolates?"

"Shimizu-senpai told me." He grumbled.

"Well, I knew it." She stepped forward, walking past him and ignoring his indignant response. "Let's go home then, Bakeyama. We still have a practice tomorrow, you know."

"Oi, wait up you dumbass!"

"Why? Are you walking me home?"

"Yes- I mean NO! Why would I do that?"

"Because you just said it. Wait, is that a blush I see?"

"I'm going to wring your neck."

In the end, he still walked her to the station.

* * *

**Coz' a sweet Kageyama is the best Kageyama.**

**See you on the next chap!**


	3. Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter featuring our baby crow! Hope you will like this one!

* * *

3.

* * *

She probably should have seen this happening.

Ever since they almost won their last match during the Inter High, the name of the Karasuno Volleyball team continued to spread among the other teams. Before, people only call them a former powerhouse who can no longer fly, or all you can hear is how pretty their manager is.

But now, things have changed.

No longer being called the flightless crows, almost everyone are talking about the team who almost defeated Seijo, and most of the talks are particularly about the awesome duo who outperforms anyone with their freakish quick. There is the genius setter Kageyama from Kitagawa Daichi, who can accurately do a pinpoint toss to anyone at any place. And of course, there is the middle blocker Hinata Shoyou, whose speed and jump leaves people in awe everytime she's on the court.

However, of course, it is bound to happen that this is not the only thing they noticed from the tiny first year decoy of Karasuno. With the kind of face she has (which brightens even more everytime she scores), she will definitely attract the attention of mostly the male population, even more so that she's playing in a coed team. The other Karasuno players, particularly the most protective ones, always make sure that she won't be wandering alone whenever they have a match. Hinata, as expected, was not aware of it, and she sometimes will disappear suddenly without anyone of them knowing.

Which what brought her to the current situation.

She probably should have seen this happening. But since her name is Hinata Shoyou, no, that is definitely impossible considering how naive she is. That, or she really has a terrible case of bad luck.

She shouldn't have forgotten her bento, and she shouldn't have went back to get it alone.

"Whoah... she really is the tiny middle blocker from Karasuno!"

"Really? She's the one who's doing that amazing quick attack? I can't believe she's a girl!"

"She's cute too!"

"Hey, hey, you want to give us your number, cutie?"

Hinata took several steps backward, until her back meets the wall. Immediately, she's trapped, three giant volleyball players(from a school she didn't know) towering over her tiny figure. They're all at least a foot taller than her, and one of them even look like a delinquent with the kind of hair and face he's wearing.

Body trembling with fright, she opened her equally trembling lips to speak.

"S-sorry! I-I have to go, please!" she squeaked, gripping tightly the wrapped bento in her hands. _Please don't eat me!_

"Awww, come on! We want to hang out with you!"

"Just give us your number, ey? Come on, where's your phone?"

"S-sorry, I can't! P-please let me through!" the orange-haired girl tried to escape in the small space she found between their bodies, but they instead shifted and crowded her more than before, still asking the same question.

"We just want your number! Don't worry, we won't bite!"

 _What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_ She repeated in her head in full panic. _They're all so big! Are they going to kidnap me? Are they going to put me in the sack and put me in the trunk of a car? Are they going to sell my organs? And what did he mean when he said he won't bite?!_

"M-my teammates are waiting for me, please!" she begged, trying to find a way to slip through. She hoped that her teammates will notice by now how long she's gone and will start looking for her.

If only she knew that this will happen, she could have begged Kageyama to come with her and she can even bribe him with his favorite milk drink. Or she could have asked her awesome senpais Tanaka-san and Noya-san, who will surely rage a war if they can see what's happening now.

Cutting her thoughts, she almost jump when the delinquent-looking guy put his hand on her shoulder, and leaned forward. She paled.

"We can even teach you volleyball! Or some other things if you like..." the guy, who has a short blond hair (obviously bleached) whispered, ignoring the state of the girl who is staring at him with fear. Fighting the urge to cry, she tried to lean her head back to get away from his face, begging once again.

"P-Please..."

_Somebody!Please!_

"Now, now,what do you think you guys are doing?"a new voice arrived, startling Hinata and the three guys. Finding the voice very familiar, she whipped her head to the left and her eyes widened when she caught sight of her savior. _It's the Grand King!_

Never did she imagine that _he_ of all people will come to her rescue. Nevertheless, she felt a little relieved.

Wearing their school's sport's attire and jersey, the captain of the Aoba Johsai volleyball club stood confidently in front of them, lips forming a polite smile though his eyes held a steely gaze.

"It's the Seijou captain!"

"What's he doing here?'

Giving her a little space when they moved, Hinata instantly grabbed the chance and darted away from them. Without thinking, she surprised Oikawa and even herself when she hide behind the brown-haired boy, shielding her away from the tall guys who were shocked at her speed.

"H-hey, we're not yet done-"

"I think her answer is already obvious." Oikawa quickly recovered, assessing the shaking girl holding on to his jersey. "Can't you see how you frightened her?"

The delinquent-looking guy scowled, taking a single step forward. "This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of our way, dude."

"Oh?" the setter didn't even look a bit intimated. "You think I'll just leave and let you harrass a girl? And you call yourselves volleyball players?"

The polite smile on his face was now replaced with a cold smirk. "What do you think will happen if somebody from the authorities heard about this, huh? Do you think they will still let you and your team participate in the games?"

Everyone became silent, and Hinata peered from Oikawa's back to see them all looking frustrated but hesitant.

"To-Tosaka-san." one of the guys said, referring to the leader of the group. "Just forget about it. Let's go back."

"If he tell, we'll be in a big trouble." the other guy agreed. "The coach will kill us."

"Tch." The blond haired guy glared at the tall captain one last time, before scoffing and turning away. The other two silently followed, not bothering to look back.

When all the three guys disappeared around the corner, the gingerhead almost cried out of relief. She survived, and she will live.

* * *

Oikawa Tooru is not the kindest guy.

Despite having good looks accompanied by his overwhelming talent, anyone who faces him on the court will agree that he's one of the shrewdest guys out there. Even his fangirls are aware of it, and for them, it adds more to his charm. His opponents were afraid him, because he always managed to find their weakness and used it against them. Overall, he's a jerk, (or a trash), as Iwaizumi always says.

However, Oikawa Tooru is not a bad guy.

His mother taught him how to respect a human being, most especially a woman. Finding other people disrespecting someone's space makes him irritated, no matter who it is. What he witnessed makes him more than annoyed, especially that the people doing it are volleyball players like him and the victim is someone he knew (and secretly, he's fond of).

Deciding to step in, he walked towards the group seeing as the gingerhead is about to faint. What he didn't expect though was for her to run towards him and used him as a shield. And for some reason, he felt satisfied.

When the three guys had left, he turned his eyes at the girl peering from his back, who then sighed in big relief. Still clutching his jersey, her eyes turned to met his and her face instantly flushed. Embarassed, she removed her hands from its grip. _How cute._

"S-sorry!" she cried dramatically.

"No problem, chibi-chan." he sing-songed, his usual, playful demeanor back. "Though I must asked, what are you doing here alone? Your teammates left you?"

"T-they're outside." she replied shyly. "I forgot my bento, so I went back to get it."

He then noticed the bento she's holding, wrapped beautifully with a cutely designed cloth. " I didn't know you like cats." he commented.

To his amusement though, the girl flushed even more. "N-no! It's not mine! It's from my sister, Natsu's!"

"What are you being shy for? I think it's cute."

"Stop teasing me!" she whined, and he almost laughed. Pouting her lips, she stared at him with a slightly annoyed expression, and he can't help but think of it as one of the most adorable things he has ever seen.

So naturally (because his name is _Oikawa Tooru_ ), he teased her even more. "Oh? And here I was expecting to hear a thank you. You're hurting me, chibi-chan."

Instantly, her expression changed into a shocked one, and she proceeded to bow her head to him. "I'm sorry! I- I mean, thank you for saving me, G-Grand King!"

"Grand King? What's with that nickname?"

"Because... you're Kageyama's senpai?" she answered, tilting her head to the side. He could have been annoyed for the depiction of the nickname (which he learned was actually derived from the title of his kohai), but seeing her cute demeanor dissipates it. He run his hand through his hair and suddenly thought of something.

"Nope. I'm not going to accept that."

"Huh? Why?!"

"Not unless you call me by my name." he smiled coyly. She stood quiet for a second before protesting.

"But you're not even calling me by my name! All you're saying is 'chibi-chan'!"

"Then how about I call you Shou-chan?"

"Shou-!" she stammered. Obviously, she's not used to someone else calling her with that name, not unless you're part of her family or one of her closest friend. And the captain of Seijou is definitely not her friend.

"Just say ' _Thank you,Tooru-kun.'_ " he insisted, intent on embarrassing her more. He watched as her face turned redder and she suddenly averted her gaze from him.

A short moment later though, she mumbled something while fidgeting her foot.

"Hmm? I didn't hear you."

"I said thank you... T-Tooru-k-kunnn..."

Out of embarassment, she covered her face with one hand, since her other one is still holding on to her bento. When Oikawa didn't react, she peered at him in between her fingers and saw him looking at her with an indescribable expression. She removed her hand from her face and looked down at her feet, horrified. _Did she offended him?!_

Suddenly, a low chuckled was heard and she turned her head up, and was surprised to see him laughing. He suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair in a playful manner.

"That was so adorable! You're really the cutest thing!" he said, amusement clearly leaking out of his tone. He laughed for a few more seconds before he stopped to stare at her face with a very fond expression. She, on the other hand, was looking at him with her mouth open, hair in a mess, and with a totally bewildered expression.

To her further shock, he suddenly leaned forward, his face a few inches away from her, eyes staring directly at her brown ones.

"Can you repeat that again, Shou-chan?" he asked in a gentle tone that can make any of his fangirls melt. "Will you call me by my name again?"

Hinata stiffened, not knowing what to do.

But before she can even move her mouth to speak, something hit Oikawa's head from the back, forcing him to move forward, forehead bumping into hers in the most painful way.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed dropping the bento at her feet while she clutches her forehead with both of her hands. Oikawa,on the other hand, was rubbing both of his forehead and the back of his head (where the ball hit), and then he turned around in clear annoyance.

"Who the hell did that?" he yelled, but then stopped upon seeing his bestfriend glaring at him.

"I've been looking for you, Shittykawa! Our bus is leaving!"

"I just went to the restroom!"

"You're just flirting!"

"I-I'm not- hey! Look what you've done to Shou-chan!" he exclaimed, staring at the girl with concern while she rubs her forehead. Startled and suddenly realizing what he's done, Iwaizumi walked towards them, staring at the girl with guilt.

"Sorry about that. Are you okay?" he apologized, ignoring Oikawa completely. He stared concernedly at the red mark on her forehead and when he take a good look at her face, surprise took over his features. "Hey, you're Karasuno's number 10! "

"I'm fine." she answered truthfully despite the dull ache.

"Are you sure, Shou-chan?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alone? I saw Kageyama looking for you earlier." Iwaizumi said, remembering how he bumped into Karasuno's setter a while ago, whose face as he remembered contains annoyance and worry.

"Oh, crap!" the girl suddenly exclaimed. She quickly picked her bento from the floor. "I have to go! They will kill me!"

She turned to Oikawa, bowing her head again. " Thank you again, Gr-Tooru-kun!" she exclaimed, before running away and disappearing into the corner.

Blinking in confusion, Iwaizumi continued to stare at the direction she disappeared to, before turning to his friend, who, if only he will look closely, has a faint red hue on his cheeks.

"Iwa-chan..."

"What?"

"Has Shou-chan always been this cute?"

"...What the hell are you planning this time? I swear if Karasuno decided to kill you, I will not save you."

"But Iwa-chan-"

"I said we're now going!"

* * *

They saw each other again, but this time, as opponents on opposite courts.

Hinata watched as the Seijou captain and Kageyama fights over a volleyball while exchanging taunting words with each other, and she giggled loudly when Oikawa suddenly let go and the raven-haired setter stumbled. Beside her, Sugawara just sighed.

"It's too early to let Oikawa get into him."

"Pfft."

"What are you laughing at, boke?!"

"Oh, it's Shou-chan! Nice to meet you again!"

Caught of guard, Hinata stopped laughing and stared at the brown-haired boy in surprise. She saw him waving his hands at her in a form of greeting and awkwardly, she waved back.

Around them, both the Karasuno and Seijo players stopped what they're doing, most of them staring at two with surprise while others only with mild confusion. Kageyama has his eyes wide open, staring back and forth between Hinata and Oikawa. _Shou-chan?!_

Oikawa moved closer to the girl, stopping in front of her while completely ignoring Tanaka and Noya hissing in the background. Beside Hinata, Sugawara remained silent, but his expression darkened a little bit as he stared at the other captain suspiciously. Behind him a few steps away, Daichi has a similar expression.

"How are you doing?" he asked as if they're the closest of friend.

"I-I'm fine." the decoy replied confusedly, unsure of his intention. "Do you need something?"

He just grinned and suddenly ruffled her hair just like what he did the last time they met. "Nope. I just want to talk to you, Shou-chan!"

Annoyed by the fact that Oikawa is messing with her hair, she tried to swat his hand away. "Stop that... oi...you're messing with my hair, Tooru-kun!"

"TOORU-KUN?!" the Karasuno and Seijou players all exclaimed at once.

"They're at the first name basis? Since when?" Yamaguchi wondered loudly, standing beside Tsukishima, who, for some reason, looked extremely annoyed.

"When did you become close with Karasuno's number 10, Oikawa?" Hanamaki asked their captain.

"Did you do something to her, huh, punk?!"

"Tanaka, calm down! Maybe it's not like that at all."

"But Asahi, he's a playboy!"

"Are you two dating?!"

"What's the meaning of this, Hinata?" Sugawara confronted the girl who is currently fixing her hair. An alarmed expression appeared on her face and she immediately shake her head in denial. "N-NO! IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT! "

She turned to Oikawa to ask for help. The boy, who doesn't look like he's bothered by everyone's reaction, just smiled at her meaningfully, before turning to look at his teammates, particularly at Kindaichi who asked the last question.

Hinata suddenly felt like things will just get worse and in the background, Iwaizumi's hand twitched in an impending murder.

"Nope, we're not dating." he answered truthfully, and everyone gave a temporary sigh of relief. It didn't last though, when they heard his next words.

"But if it's going to be her, I won't mind."

Hinata's face became blank for a few seconds before it turned red like a tomato. "E-EH?!"

Around her, the Karasuno team exploded.

"I'M GONNA MURDER HIM."

"Daichi-san, calm down!"

"I'll help you hide the body."

"You too, Sugawara-san?!"

"Tch. You're all so noisy."

"BOKE! HINATA BOKE!"

A volleyball came flying out of nowhere, hitting the Seijou captain on the head and knocking him out briefly before the start of the match. "Quit messing around, Trashykawa!"

In the back, background, the coach of each team just sighed exasperatedly, before standing up and whacking each of their players on the head.

"All of you brats, shut up!"

* * *

**The first scene was set right after Karasuno's match against Kakugawa. Though in this version, it was only Hinata, not Kiyoko who came back, and I also used players from the other teams instead of Jozenji (because honestly, Terushima is not that bad).**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Bye for now!**


	4. Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Presenting the story of how the shy cat met the little crow.
> 
> Meow.

* * *

4.

_Compared to your eyes, nothing shines as bright._

* * *

When he first met her, he thought she's the sun.

Though a loud, talkative one at that.

You see, one day, he was lost on a completely unfamiliar town, which is a result of him not paying attention to his surroundings while playing a game on his phone. Knowing that he can't do anything about it, he decided to just sit down and continue playing, hoping that Kuro will find him. He knows for sure that he will.

And that's when she suddenly came.

Like a sudden, strong wave in the sea, he was immediately swept away into a companionship that he will treasure for all his life.

"What are you doing?"

Startled, he almost leap from his seat and almost drops his phone. Slowly, he turned to the source of the voice. And froze.

A pretty girl who looks to be about his age, if not younger, is running towards him. Her bright, orange hair complimented her own huge, bright, orbs and there is a big smile on her face. She's wearing black shorts with a white t-shirt as a top, and he immediately recognized the name of the school printed on it.

It took him 2 seconds before he answered. " I- uhm…" He lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm lost."

"Huh? Really?" she's now standing in front of him while he still kept his gaze away. "Are you from another town?"

"Y-yeah."

A few seconds passed by with the girl just staring at him with pure wonderment. Her brown eyes then went towards the device he's holding, and without any pre-warning, she suddenly went closer to see what he's doing. " Is that fun?"

"What? No… I'm just doing this to waste my time…"

"Hmmm…" The girl became silent again while looking over his shoulder. In the meantime, he's starting to lose his concentration. His cheeks are getting warm. _She's so close._

Her startled gasp almost made him jump. "Do you play volleyball?!"

"Huh?!"

She pointed at his opened bag. "Those shoes! They're for volleyball, right?"

"Um.. .yeah."

"Awesome!" she stood straight and clasped her hands." I play volleyball too! My name is Hinata Shouyou! What's yours?"

"K- Kozume.."

"Kozume? Is that your name?"

"Kenma." He stated meekly. "Kozume Kenma."

"Then Kenma it is!" she giggled happily, clearly delighted on meeting another person who shared the same passion as her, not caring if he's shy or not.

Kenma, on the other hand, is trying hard to not hide his face. His cheeks felt like on fire as he heard her utter his name. He stole a glance and as her eyes met his, he quickly averted his gaze again. He almost groaned. _This is too much._

Her wild mane of orange hair, brown eyes and most of all, that blinding, bright smile. She is the epitome of a living, walking sunshine. Her laugh is like the sound of a bell and bright… she's too bright. He continued to stare at the ground while she asks him questions.

"You're in highschool?"

"…Yeah."

"What year? I'm a first year!"

"Second."

Another gasp. "You're a senpai! I'm so sorry-"

"It's fine." He cut her off. "I'm not too fond of all that sports- minded, superiority stuff…"

"Oh… okay…"

He hesitated. "You can call me… Kenma."

"Really? Then you can call me Shoyou!" she beamed. "This means we're now friends, right?"

He nodded shyly, unable to say no. The girl took a seat beside him and they proceeded to talk (about volleyball of course). She learned his position as a setter, that he has a childhood friend on his team, and that he didn't like volleyball that much. She mentioned her own teammates, and even compared him to their own, grumpy setter.

They talk about a lot of things, and Kenma thought that maybe, it's not too bad to get lost. Sometimes.

But of course, all good things must come to an end. For this moment, it's in the form of a certain captain with a bed hair.

"Kenma!"

"Kuro." He stood up and picked his bag. He turned to her. "Uhm… gotta go."

"Okay…"

He started to leave, but not before waving his hand as a form of goodbye. "Thank you… and see you soon, Shoyou."

She smiled brightly. "Same here. Nice to meet ya, Kenma!"

It was after they're gone from her view that she realized something. _What does he mean by 'see you soon'?._

* * *

"So… you met a girl."

"...I don't know what you're trying to say."

"You've got that look on your face."

"What are you talking about?"

"Like you're interested."

Kuroo almost burst out laughing at the red hue that appears on his friend's cheeks. _Oh…_

"Shut up. I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not."

"Yes."

"Not."

"…"

"…"

"Yes."

"I'M NOT."

* * *

Later that night…

"Kenma met a girl."

He glared at their captain, while his teammates gaped at the news. Especially Yamamoto who almost looked devastated.

"K-Kenma?! The shy Kenma who couldn't even talk to a girl properly? Please tell me this is not true!"

"You're so loud, Yamamoto."

"Hey Kuroo, is that true?" Yaku asked their captain after recovering from shock.

Kuroo just grinned. "Yep." Before adding. " And she's cute."

He glanced at his childhood friend, who to his amusement, is glaring at him in a more intense manner than usual.

"Wow… lucky." Inuoka said.

"CUTE?! You got a cute girl before me?" Yamamoto turned to Kenma with waterfall tears. "THIS IS NOT FAIR! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" He proceeded to wail.

"Yamamoto, I told you to shut up."

"Ahh.. young love."

* * *

"Kenma!"

There she is again. This time however, she's pouting. "Why didn't you tell me that you're from Nekoma?"

"You never asked…"

"But you said 'see you soon' so you must knew something."

"You're shirt has 'Karasuno' written on it."

"Oh…"

"See?" Kuroo said as he turned to the other Nekoma players who were watching the unbelievable scene. "Told ya she's cute."

 _Damn it._ Yamamoto was crying again while clutching his chest. _Kenma, you lucky shit._

Yaku was also crying, but not for the same reason. "Our Kenma… is talking to a girl…"

"You looked so happy." Kai laughed at him.

"Hey, hey. hey!" a bald player from Karasuno approached them. "What the hell do you want with our first year **girl?** Huh?"

"So… she's a player too?" Kuroo asked, still wearing a grin on his face.

"So what if she is? Huh? You wanna fight?" the Karasuno player threatened, sporting his most intimidating face.

As a responsible senpai who is tasked to watch out for his kohai ( _Note: self-appointed_ ), he promised to himself that he will drive away any possible predator to their little crow. Seeing a bunch of hormonal, teenage cats staring at their female middle blocker and hearing one of them calling her cute, he couldn't stop himself. There's no way they'll get a pass at her, not even that shy pudding head. They need to step over his dead body, and Noya's.

"Tanaka, shut up and stop it with that face. " The boy froze as he heard his captain's words. Daichi walked towards Kuroo, offering his hand.

"Sorry about him, he's just overprotective of our first years. I'm Daichi by the way, Karasuno's captain."

"No problem." Kuroo held up his hand for a handshake and almost yelp at the sudden force from the other captain's grip. Daichi has a smile plastered on his face, but it doesn't hide the slight twitch on his forehead. Behind him, a boy with a silver hair and mole beneath his eye is emitting the same aura as the Tanaka boy, despite the angelic smile on his face. He mentally sweat dropped. _They're scary_. _Haha._

He responded with the same pressure. "Let's have a good game." He smiled.

Daichi smiled wider. "Oh... sure we will."

* * *

Their matches were finished with Nekoma winning all sets. However, Kenma can't help the feeling of awe towards the girl.

She's not the best player for sure and still needs to do a lot of basic training, but her stamina and speed make up for it. For him, she's like a video game character with an unknown capacity and he's sure that as more games goes by, her level will go up as well.

She went towards him and asked the same question she had before. "Do you still not like volleyball?"

He stared at the ground. "Yeah…It's the same old thing."

She paused for a few seconds and Kenma had to look at her face to gauge her expression.

Her gaze was serious and he was suddenly drawn by the determination on her eyes.

"Next time… I'll make you change that answer. We'll defeat you and you'll say 'I hate losing!'. Remember that, Kenma!"

With her gaze still burning on him, he noticed that her hair blends well with the sunset just reflecting behind her. Bright. She's too bright.

He sighed and smiled back. "Sure. I'll be looking forward to it."

With his answer, she gave him her brightest smile, and Kenma thought the sunset has never been this beautiful.

* * *

"Kenma, wait!"

Surprised, he looked back to where they came from and saw Shouyou running towards them. It's been minutes since their teams said goodbye to each other, and she must have run very fast to catch up with them. The other Nekoma players halted as well, watching as the girl gave Kenma a piece of paper.

"I almost forgot…here's my number." She panted. "Let's talk with each other, okay?"

Kuroo snickered as the boy can no longer hide the red color on his face. Kenma couldn't say anything and just nodded his head.

She hesitated for a bit, before she suddenly move forward and gave him a hug. His mind then suddenly turned blank.

Letting him go, she smiled at him one last time before waving goodbye and turning away.

Kenma just stood there shocked for a few seconds, before slipping the paper in his pocket and turning back to his teammates with a crimson face and slightly dazed expression.

He doesn't seem to notice Yamamoto, who appeared to be passed out on the floor with Shibayama and Inuoka dragging him.

After gaping, Yaku looked away with a reddened face, before turning ahead to move forward.

Fukunaga kept his pace beside Kenma, patting him on the shoulder.

* * *

"Shut up, Kuro."

"I didn't even say anything."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of Kenma, have you read Chapter 322 yet?
> 
> I don't want to give out any spoilers for non-manga readers, but I would just like to say how happy I am and how I almost cried. The KenHina friendship is so adorable. :-)
> 
> Well, that's all for now guys. See you on the next chap!


	5. Summer accident

5.

* * *

This story started one summer day.

Or more particularly, that one day of the summer training camp in Tokyo.

The very hot weather brought by the summer makes everyone very tired and sweaty, and during one of those breaks when the coaches and advisors are allowing them to do anything they want (which should be safe and legal of course), most of the players are trying to find ways to cool themselves.

Some are content on just resting or napping under the shade of a tree, while some will go to the kitchen to get a refreshment.

However, for a particular group of volleyball players, or rather, for two groups of volleyball players (because each came from different schools, and no, we're not talking about Karasuno this time), they found their own way of refreshment at the school's garden, near the outdoor sink, where there's a good supply of water to get everyone wet.

Bokuto. Kuroo. Fukurodani. Nekoma. A water hose for the hot weather. What could have possibly gone wrong?

Well, it's nothing like Akaashi would ever expect. And for the hundredth time since he joined the Fukurodani team, he's asking himself what he did to deserve this.

It started when the Nekoma team were busy washing their water bottles at the outdoor sink (because they don't have a manager to do this for them-surprise!) . Even Kenma tagged along, although all he did was to sit in the corner to play his game.

And then while everyone on the group of cats were busy chatting and working, the captain of the owl team (followed by Akaashi, Konoha and Sarukui) spotted his bro who was busy at what he's doing.

Despite being a third year, everyone from his team knew that Bokuto Koutarou can sometimes be a bit childish. But they never expect that he could be _this_ childish.

Seeing a water hose lying unused on the ground, the owl captain suddenly thought that he could do a little prank by 'cooling the other captain's head off'. And before Akaashi or anyone from his team can stop him, he already turned the faucet on and then the Nekoma captain was already drenched from the back.

Even the other Nekoma members who were near Kuroo at that moment were soaked (except for Kenma, who saw everything from the start and scooted as far away as possible without even giving his teammates a warning- _that traitor!_ ), and they all turn around hissing like a group of angry cats.

"What the hell?" Yamamoto squawked, glaring at the Fukurodani team who all stood before them with an exasperated expression, except for Bokuto who actually looked very proud. He even managed to laugh loudly while pointing his finger at Kuroo, who turned around to face him with his usual bedhead down.

"Hahaha! I got you bro!"

"Bokuto..." the dark-haired captain seethed.

"Relax, Kuroo! I'm just joking!"

"Stupid owl!"

"You got us all drenched!" The other Nekoma players complained loudly.

"Well, if you have a lot of free time for this kind of joke, then it would be a waste to waste it." the Nekoma captain, who magically produced a pail of water in his hands all of a sudden, throws its content at the owl captain, who exclaimed in surprise but was able to move away at the very last moment.

Konoha, who was behind his captain at that moment, was the one who received the water full on the face. In an instant irritation, he picked another hose from the ground and blasted it open towards the group of cats, this time hitting Yaku.

And that's when the chaos started, and everyone (except for Kenma) were suddenly involved in the water fight. The poor cat who is busy playing a game on his phone was wondering why he came here in the first place.

Somehow in between the fight, Kuroo was the one who got hold of the water hose as he mercilessly blasted it on the other captain. Bokuto, on the other hand, got hold of the pail in return, and after filling it with enough water, he executed his revenge by splashing its content on his friend.

Luckily though, Kuroo is a very good dodger, so he got away very quickly without being drowned further.

Unluckily though, someone (who is curious on what all the noise is about)choose to walk at that moment and was met in the face with the cool liquid.

A surprised shriek was heard, and everyone turn their heads to stare at the person who became Bokuto's unlucky target.

And then they froze.

Because the unlucky victim is no other than Karasuno's shrimpy middle blocker, who was staring at them in shock and confusion.

Her hair is dripping wet due to the amount of water thrown at her way, the fabric of the cloth she's wearing clinging tightly to her skin. And since she's wearing a white t-shirt, everyone can see a different color or rather a pattern of what she's wearing underneath.

And naturally because they're all boys, they stared.

Kuroo gaped, the water hose he's holding was dropped to the ground, forgotten.

Yaku was speechless.

Fukunaga and Kai looked away, their faces red.

Yamamoto felt something dripped down from his nose, and he's not sure if it's from the heat.

Kenma sat frozen, eyes unusually wide, the device on his hands which has a 'GAME OVER' written on it in danger of slipping from his hands.

Konoha and Sarukui whistled softly.

Bokuto just ogled, and poor Akaashi, with the most shocked expression you can ever see on his face, immediately slapped his large hand unto the captain's eyes since he's the nearest.

Shibayama and Inuoka (the poor puppies) also slapped their hands on their eyes in sync, flushed faces turning away and both shouting "I did not see anything!".

And Lev, because he's _Lev_ , said the very first thing that comes to his mind. "...Strawberries."

That seems to broke the spell and a sudden realization hit the girl. She looked down at her now translucent shirt and then at the scarlet faces of the boys, before her own face turned the same shade of color.

Out of embarassment, she immediately covered her chest with her arms. And then she screamed.

And that's when they knew _they're dead._

"Hinata!"

They did not wait too long for the first crow to arrive because Kageyama already comes running at them, face uncharacteristically worried.

Upon reaching them, he put his hands on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. Her eyes are brimming with tears. "What happened -".

He stopped.

His eyes assessed her form and seeing the state the girl was in _especially her clothes_ , his throat went dry.

Because despite her efforts to cover it, he can't help his wandering eyes that are now staring directly at the pink pattern inside her shirt. (The others cannot condemn him for staring- 'cause they're all equally guilty).

 _Damn_.

Realizing what he's looking at, he let go of her and looked away, his hand covering the lower part of his face as if to keep the blush from going up.

A series of footsteps reached their location, and then suddenly, the whole Karasuno team was already there.

They all halted upon seeing the scene in front of them.

And from where they are standing (or sitting), the other teams stared at them in horror. _They're going to be eaten alive._

It took a few more seconds before various reactions rose from the Karasuno team, ranging from shock, embarrassment and then to anger.

"Hi-Hinata!" Yamaguchi squeaked as he covered his eyes.

"Q-quick! Someone cover her!" Ennoshita said.

"Here." Luckily, Tsukishima brought his jacket with him and he immediately draped it on the body of the girl.

Nishinoya and Tanaka, who initially were very flustered upon seeing their kohai, turned their gazes to the other teams and upon seeing their reactions (especially the blood from Yamamoto's nose) they roared in anger.

"What did you do to our kohai, you perverts!"

Asahi was looking at them with an expression of murder and they all shuddered in fear, especially Shibayama who started to whimper. Though unbeknownst to them, the expression was actually meant to express his fear and anxiety ( _T-This is bad! Daichi and Sugawara are so mad!_ ).

"It's nothing like that. It was all an accident." Akaashi tried to explain, seeing as most people from his side were still unable to speak. He removed his hand from Bokuto's eyes and pushed the back of the boy's head forward, both of them bowing their heads towards the group. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to stop this from happening."

"Sorry. I'm at fault here as well." Kuroo added guiltily, knowing that it's his fault that the girl got soaked.

"Tsukishima." Daichi suddenly said.

Around them, the air went still.

"Please get Hinata away from here." Suga finished.

Near them, the other Karasuno players scooted from them as far away as possible.

"Uhmm..." Yaku started nervously.

"D-Daichi-san... Sugawara-san..." came the decoy's voice. They all turn their attention to the girl who is still blushing furiously. "I-It's okay. They didn't do anything. It's an accident, that's all."

Daichi sighed. "Okay, fine. But we still need to talk though."

He gestured for Tsukishima to go, and the latter tap the girl on the shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

With that, both middle blockers were gone, the others watching their back as they disappeared.

"All of the others should go back as well. We still have a match to prepare." Suga broke the silence, the glare he's wearing earlier almost gone.

The remaining team members nodded warily, before they all scooted away and disappear to avoid the incoming wrath.

With all the other of their team members gone, the crow's captain and vice captain turned to the other players, both of their faces sporting a thin smile.

Everyone gulped.

"Now, let's talk, shall we?"

* * *

With Tsukishima's jacket covering her form, the pair walked in silence towards the classrooms.

The boy, who has been quiet the entire time since they arrived at the scene a while ago, puts his hand on his face, covering the blush that he's struggling to hide in front of his teammates.

Strawberries.

God help him.

* * *

To say that the incident was not easily forgotten was an understatement.

Komi, the Fukurodani's libero (who we all know was absent from that event) gave a look of confusion over the Nekoma team, who all looked very exhausted as if they fought in a war.

"I think I'm gonna die..." Lev complained, shoulders hunched and barely dragging himself forward.

"I think I lost ten years of my life." Yaku echoed, panting heavily.

"What happened to them? Didn't they win the match?" he wondered loudly and beside him, Konoha chuckled nervously.

"Well, they have a troublesome opponent." he answered, watching as the group of crows went outside the gym to run up the hill for the penalty. Komi just looked at him confusedly.

At the Nekoma's side, Kuroo just finished drinking from his water bottle when Bokuto approached him, slapping his hand on the captain's back.

"You okay, Kuroo? That was an intense match."

"Well, tell me something I didn't know." the resident cat replied irritably, turning to his friend with a frown. "This is you know, all your fault."

"Eh? Why me? You're the one who dodged remember? It was supposed to be you, not chibi-chan." he denied, though he can't help the shiver running up his spine upon remembering Daichi and Suga's warning.

Kuroo's hand twitched. "Stop talking as if you're not responsible, you damn owl!"

"Bokuto-san." Akaashi intervened before another round of fight will start between the two (who knows what they will do again this time). "We should be preparing for our next match."

"Oh, okay. Who's our next opponent?"

The vice captain instantly paled. "Karasuno."

(A few steps away from them, Komi turned to Konoha. "Should I be worried?" which the latter only answered in a big sigh.)

Kuroo _almost_ looked at the owl captain sympathetically before slapping him on the back in return. " _Good luck_ , bro." He said before walking away somewhere to take a rest.

* * *

"Um... did something bad happened?" Ukai asked Takeda who is currently sitting beside him.

"No idea..." Takeda answered confusedly, watching as a black miasma seems to be enveloping the entire team, except for Hinata who is looking at her teammates with wary.

Even Kiyoko and Yachi on their side seems to be more intense than usual, though the latter is wearing more of a nervous face.

"KARASUNO... FIGHT!" Daichi's loud voice echoed all over the gym, followed by a chorus of loud shouts, before they all turned around with serious expressions. On the far away side of the gym, the Nekoma team shuddered.

"Komi-san." Akaashi said to the libero beside him.

"Huh?"

"I'm extremely sorry."

* * *

**Whew. This chapter is a short one.**

**Thanks for those who reviewed/commented last time.**

**See you on the next chap!**


	6. School festival 1

6.

* * *

 

Kageyama Tobio is so downright _pissed_.

Walking through the corridor of the first year floor, anyone who can see him are trying to move out of the way after seeing his glaring expression and the dark aura surrounding his body.

Well, it's not like he's not having that kind of grumpy expression everyday (because it's his default face), but what he's having today generally screams that he will murder you if you try to talk or even bump into him. So, no thanks. They still want to live.

Gripping a volleyball tightly in his hand, his eyes tried to search for someone inside each classroom, and the longer he keeps on searching, the fouler his mood gets.

_Where the hell is that idiot?!_

Even though it's the day of the school festival and everyone are busy trying to decorate their classrooms for their own booth, the Karasuno volleyball club agreed that they can still practice for a few hours that day in preparation for the upcoming Nationals tournament. He and Hinata agreed to meet up at 7 o'clock in the morning to practice their quick, however, things didn't go as planned.

Because Hinata is currently missing, and did not even bother to tell Kageyama that _she's not coming._ Which explains his mood right now.

And here he is, currently trying to search for his dumbass teammate and is very ready to murder her for slacking.

But he is not ready for this.

"Hey, hey, did you hear? Hinata Shoyou from class 1-1 and Tsukishima Kei from class 1-4 are getting married!"

He halted, mind processing the words he just heard. _What?_

"Really? Wow, lucky! She's a cute one right?"

_Getting married?_

_Hinata? Tsukishima?_

_What?!_

Instantly, he whipped his head around and run towards the two guys who walked past him. He roared.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

* * *

 

They don't know how the hell they got into this situation.

Just a few minutes ago, she was just running towards the gym to meet up with Kageyama for their agreed practice time.

Just a few moments ago, he was just walking beside Yamaguchi towards their classroom while he's wearing his headphone, listening to music.

Just a few minutes ago, she was just suddenly grabbed by someone from who knows where, while she's screaming that she's gonna be late and that _he_ will murder her.

Just a few moments ago, someone just suddenly grabbed his arms, pushing him towards a classroom while in the background, amidst the music playing from his headphone, someone screamed _"Tsukki!"._

Just before all of this, they were both living their own normal lives.

And here they are now, staring at each other in bewilderment, one part of a handcuff attached to her right wrist while the other one is on his left. Inside the classroom where they are currently held, a few students, mostly females, are staring at them happily. They were all dressed in formal attires as if they're attending an important event.

"Oh, here they are! The first pair!"

Hinata and Tsukishima exchanged another look before the male started to speak, headphone dangling on his neck, voice bordering to irritation. "What's going on here?"

"You're both getting married!" the red-haired female, obviously the class president, speaks without preamble.

A few seconds passed by before both of them exploded.

"I'M SORRY, WHAT?!" both Karasuno players exclaimed, horrified.

"I mean, sorry- let me correct that." the girl laughed. "You're in the marriage booth. I'm sure you know what that means."

"B-but I'm still too young to marry! M-my mom and dad will kill me!" Hinata wailed in panic, covering her face with both of her hands, dragging Tsukishima's handcuffed hand along.

The blonde, who is calmer but still looked shocked, pulled his hand back away from her face. "Idiot, this is just a booth, we're not getting married for real." he stated, before glaring at the red-haired girl in front of him. "But still, this is ridiculous. Let us go."

"I'm sorry, but no." another male student, who is typing away on his laptop a few tables away, responded. "It's a request from one of our customers and we have to do our business as stated."

"And who is this customer you offered your business to?" Tsukishima retorted, gritting his teeth.

The other male didn't even bother to look up. "Sorry. That's classified information."

"Tch."

"Anyway, why are you both so against this? Aren't you a couple?" another girl asked, eyeing them curiously.

The two middle blockers stared at each other again, faces both turning red at the assumption.

"N-No! You got it wrong!" Hinata denied, shaking her head.

"Never happening. Who gave you that idea?"

"Well, our usual customers from the past year are actually real couples." the class president explained to them. She then smiled sweetly. "But then since you were not a real couple, maybe someone thinks that you _should_ be a couple."

"T-that's impossible..." Hinata muttered, face still in its scarlet hue. "I-I mean, we're always fighting. Who in their right mind would pair me with him?"

"That person is insane." Tsukishima agreed.

It is not a surprise that both volleyball players are not aware of who the culprit is. Understandable, because out of the many people in the campus, who can it possibly be?

It could be one of Tsukishima's classmates, who found it odd and a bit of surprising when they saw Tsukishima Kei tutoring a girl from another class.

For these particular moments, the tall megane who does not interact to anyone except Yamaguchi, will set aside his headphone and free time to teach a gingerhead first year. What adds more to their shock is that he's teasing her as if he's trying to gain some sort of reaction, and they can definitely understand why after seeing the cute, angry responses she's making. After that, he will have this very amused laugh, and this is a kind of sight you will definitely not see everyday.

They can't help but find it very adorable. Maybe Tsukishima Kei is a normal human after all.

Or it could also be one of Hinata's classmates, who were dumbfounded when a tall, blonde, good-looking boy appeared on their classroom one day to look for the orange-haired girl. With a nonchalant expression, he asked a couple of girls standing outside the classroom if a girl named Hinata Shoyou was inside. After checking, they responded that the girl left a while ago and that they don't know where she went.

Though looking irritated, he still thanked them appropriately before leaving.

And that left the girls blushing and sighing dreamily, expressing how lucky Hinata is to have such a cool guy as a boyfriend.

(Though if they only knew, Tsukishima was actually only searching for the girl to ask for the dinosaur-shaped eraser she borrowed and didn't return.)

It could also be the school librarian, who was giving them a stink eye as the two were busy flirting (or arguing) inside the library. The tall guy, who was annoying the girl by refusing to let go of the book he's holding out of her reach, got stepped on his feet after the girl's several jump attempts failed. They continued to bicker afterwards until she got fed up and shouted for both of them to get out.

Young love is so sweet and cute, but still, she has a job to do.

So in summary, we actually have a lot of suspects. But whoever did it is not important now, is it?

* * *

 

"Okay, so let's start and get this over with!" the class president, who they learned was named Akiko, suddenly announced.

Hinata, who still doesn't know what to do, felt that something was placed on her head. "Wha-what are you doing?"

"I'm putting on your hair dress. Oh, Hina-chan, I'm going to remove your ponytail, okay?"

"You're really doing this?!" she exclaimed, feeling helpless as the girl touched her hair.

"It will not feel like a wedding without a hair dress." Akiko answered, removing the orange hair from its bind and letting it cascade down the girls back. She brushed the smooth, bright locks using her hands for a quick fix before pinning the hair dress securely on her head. Then with a lipstick suddenly appearing in her hand, she applied a thin layer on the other girl's lips. There's only that, and she proceeded to give the girl a look over, her mouth slowly gaping at the sight.

"Wow, you look so pretty!" she complimented and around them, the other members of the class gave words of agreement and awe.

"This is so embarrassing..." the gingerhead complained.

On the other hand, her partner who was just watching quietly (he finds it tiring to argue since it looks like they're not going to let them go anytime soon), cannot think of a word or an insult to say in the current situation.

And truthfully, he's actually very speechless.

He knew all along that their female teammate is an eyecatcher, possessing a cute face and a very bright personality which instantly draws people in. Even though she cares more about volleyball than her physical appearance, her natural beauty always comes out, attracting most of the people everywhere.

And now looking at the girl in front of him who has her hands on both of her cheeks while blushing furiously, he feels like he's becoming one of them (if he was not one already).

Lovely. She's very lovely.

Her hair which is usually tied in a ponytail is now cascading down her back and soft, orange curls are framing the side of her face. He also can't help staring down at her lips, which is now painted red and when her brown eyes met his briefly and shyly, he felt himself being drawn by its warmth and innocence.

It is enough to make his heart gave a loud thud and slowly, his fingers reached out to touch her face.

But then the moment suddenly ended, and he doesn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed by the intervention.

Of course, remembering that he's a member of the Karasuno Volleyball club, he knew that this is bound to happen. What should he expect?

The door of the classroom suddenly burst open, and who came in first are two second years who looked like they're about to declare a war. Hinata removed her hands from her face and stared at them dumbfounded.

"Where's our kohai?!" Nishinoya demanded upon entering.

"What did you to Tsukishima you bastards!" Tanaka roared.

"Tsukki! Are you alright, Tsukki?!" Yamaguchi cried along with his senpais. However, he stopped upon seeing his friend's unimpressed expression.

"Noya! Tanaka! We're not here to fight someone!" Daichi reprimanded as he stepped inside the classroom followed by the remaining members of the volleyball club.

"As expected. They didn't even read the sign on the door." Kinoshita whispered to Narita, who only face palmed.

Apparently, Yamaguchi Tadashi, who was greatly terrified after his friend was 'forcibly taken' run towards the gym to ask for help. And though they detest Tsukishima's snarky attitude, the two troublesome second years were the first to come running to his rescue, followed by the other members of the volleyball club who were asking for the two to calm down ((because unlike the two, they are aware that this is the day of the festival and that yes, this kind of kidnapping thing is normal (Suga was once a victim and no, he doesn't want to talk about it.))

What they didn't expect though was the girl standing beside Tsukishima, who looked aghast upon seeing them. "T-this is not what it looks like!" she wailed and upon hearing her voice did they only realize who she is. Their jaws dropped.

"S-Shoyou? Is that you?"

"Hinata?" Sugawara asked in shock and remembering the sign he read from the door, he paled. "Please tell me this is not happening."

"Are you here to attend the wedding?" Akiko asked.

"WEDDING?!" Yamaguchi, Asahi, Tanaka and Noya exclaimed in unison.

"That's what the sign on the door says, unless you cannot read." the guy who was typing away at the corner answered. Even when Tanaka and Noya bared their fangs at him, he didn't even bother to pay attention.

"T-Tsukki!"

"B-But they're still too young! W-what... h-how?"

"Asahi, relax! This is just a booth!"

"Tsukishima, you bastard!"

"Did you forced her to do this, huh?!"

"Why am I being condemned now?" Tsukishima mumbled exasperatedly.

"W-wait, guys! I told you, this is not what it looks like!"

"This is taking me back-" Daichi stopped as Sugawara stepped on his foot.

"Don't remind me."

"We refuse for this happen! There will be no wedding!"

"Did Noya and Tanaka even know what a marriage booth is?"

"OKAY! ALL RIGHT, WE GET IT!" Someone shouted from the other group, and everyone halted. One of the female members from the class (who has been trying to control herself since the volleyball players come in) was seething in anger, veins pulsing from her head.

"You don't want them to get married, we get it! But can't you at least keep quiet and let us finish here? We're not even going to force them to go through the entire ceremony if they don't want to! Geez, you sports men are so annoying!" she reprimanded, crossing her arms across her chest. Tanaka and Nishinoya suprisingly didn't talk back, probably because it was a girl who's scolding them.

She turned to Hinata and Tsukishima who were both silent as well. "Now you two, we're now going to let you go after you do the main requirement. Just do it immediately so you can already get out of here, please."

"Uhm.. what's this requirement?" Hinata asked warily.

"Just kiss."

Now, everyone was truly and completely quiet, and all you can hear is the sound of the birds chirping outside.

But of course, we know that it wouldn't last long.

"What the hell?!"

"Are you serious?!"

"K-KISS?!" Hinata and Tsukishima exclaimed at once, the latter uncharacteristically stuttering.

"What do you mean by kiss?!" someone shouted, and then the door was thrown open again. In came Kageyama Tobio, who was panting so hard after the run that he just did. "And what is this wedding thing?!"

"Another one again." the irritated girl face palmed.

The raven-haired boy took a few quick strides towards the girl, who in return, scrambled behind someone's back. Which is of course, Tsukishima's.

"K-Kageyama, please let me explain!"

"You can't marry Tsukishima, boke! You made a promise with me!" the setter suddenly exclaimed and for the third time that day, everyone came into a silenced shock.

Even the Karasuno players are stunned.

"W-What do you mean, Kageyama?" Sugawara asked, eyes bulging.

"Kageyama, don't tell me you..." Nishinoya couldn't even finish his sentence.

The gingerhead, who now has a very scared expression, tried to appease the emotional, raven-haired first year.

"S-sorry! I know we made a promise with each other... but I'm afraid I can't do it anymore..."

In the background, one of the wedding organizers gasps, and then the whispers started.

_"Oh my! What is this?_

_"Poor boy."_

_"Are we in some kind of TV drama?"_

_"Is this a childhood promise of love?"_

_"Wait... Is he the real groom?"_

The two, who were both oblivious to the whisperings, continued with their dialogue.

"So you're just making me wait for nothing?!"

"N-No! I'm telling you, just let me explain!"

"What are you both talking about?" Tsukishima asked, unnerved.

"I promised Kageyama that we're going to practice today!" Hinata told him. "I was on my way to the gym when these guys kidnapped me!" she turned to Kageyama again. "That's the truth!"

_Ah. So this is what it is._ The rest of the players think in unison and they almost face palmed.

They almost believed that Kageyama meant something else.

Smiling in relief, Tanaka moved towards the setter. "You almost shocked me there, Kageyama!" the wing spiker laughed before slapping the boy's back. Hard.

And it looks Tanaka underestimated his own strength, because the force of the slap pushed the Karasuno's setter forward, bumping into the two other first years. Luckily, the raven-haired first year recovered very quickly and he managed to straighten himself up before he ended up kissing the floor.

But, the damage has been done and everyone's jaw dropped.

Hinata and Tsukishima, who are both still attached to each other, ended up on the floor, the girl falling on top of the boy in what seems to be a very compromising position. On top of that, her lips were already pressed into his, both of their eyes wide as realization hit their scarlet faces.

And that ended the wedding.

* * *

 

The awkwardness linger until the practice.

The rest of the team watched in worry as the two middle blockers refused to talk or even look at each other, both becoming uncharacteristically quiet (the girl without her lively outburst and the boy without his snarky comments).

What's more, it's greatly affecting the practice because the two were both messing up when they're near each other's proximity, and the captain has no choice but to assign the two on different sides of the court. But still, since they're both distracted, their performance lacks its usual hype, so the practice was cut shorter than usual.

Even Kageyama and Tanaka didn't find it in their hearts to complain, and the others thought that they both might be feeling a bit guilty for what happened.

The practice ended in a quiet affair and Tsukishima left the gym immediately, followed closely by Yamaguchi.

The two continued to walked in silence while on the street and more often, the freckled teen would gaze at his friend with worry.

"Uhm... are you okay, Tsukki?" he finally managed to ask. The blonde just sighed before placing the headphone on his ears.

"I'm fine." he answered curtly.

The silence continued for a few more seconds before it was broken by a loud shout.

"TSUKISHIMA!"

The two tall teens both jolted at the sound and in unison, they turned around to find their female teammate panting in front of them while holding on to her bicycle. She was alone this time, no signs of Kageyama or the other Karasuno teams at her back.

Suddenly, she bowed her head towards him in an apology, surprising them further. "I'm so sorry!"

"I-I'll go ahead and leave you two, Tsukki." Yamaguchi said after a few moments before he turned around and disappeared.

The blonde, after his friend left, just blinked at the girl still bowing in front of him. He then sighed as he removed the headphone from his ears.

"Will you please just get up? What are you even apologizing for?"

The girl stood up straight and blushed at his question. "Uhm... sorry for what happened this morning. You know... for k-kissing you..."

"Oh." the boy answered, the tip of his ears red.

"Although it's an accident, I know you're upset because of that and I apologize." the girl continued. "It's also affecting our practice and we're making everyone worried, so..."

"No need to apologize, it's an accident as you said. " the blonde coughed, before adding. "Let's just forget it happened."

"O-okay."

"And I'm not upset."

"Okay..?"

"And it's just a kiss."

"Yeah. Just a kiss..."

"..."

"So... are we good now? I mean, are we back to normal?" the girl gazed at him curiously, tilting her head a bit. Tsukishima just stood there, staring at her with a weird expression. For a moment, she thought he's gonna answer no but then he suddenly smirked and reached out, ruffling her soft hair.

"Yeah sure. We're back to normal, shrimp."

"Hey!" the girl detached herself from his hand. "What's up with you guys messing with my hair?" she complained, remembering a certain captain from another team.

"It suits you more, shrimp."

"Don't call me shrimp!"

"Hahaha." he laughed before turning around and walking away. "See you tomorrow, Hinata."

The girl's face turned into a confused one at his soft tone. "Uh... sure." she answered, watching him disappear into the road.

_Weird._

* * *

 

Tsukishima placed the headphone back on his ears, turning the volume of his music louder than usual, trying to drown out his current thoughts and the loud beating of his heart.

_It's just a kiss._ He tried to convince himself. _Nothing to worry about._

If only you knew, Tsukki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that guy out there typing on his laptop really gives a Kyoya vibe. If you don't know who he is, he's an amazing character from Ouran Highschool Host Club, which is another amazing show.
> 
> I'm not really sure about this chapter, but yeah, let me know what you think.
> 
> Bye for now!


	7. Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was set days before the Nationals tournament. I know that this is not canon but let's just say we have another training camp happening in Tokyo before the tournament.

* * *

It was the night of the training camp and all practice matches for the day were already done.

Kageyama Tobio and Tsukishima Kei, who both left the gym at the same time after two hours of extra practice, were walking through one of the campus' corridors to go to the kitchen and eat. Both feeling tired and hungry, the two were surprisingly not bickering and instead just chose to keep quiet while walking side by side.

Clearly seeing what's happening ahead of them, both players stopped walking upon seeing a strange sight.

A few meters from them, they spotted the Nekoma and Fukurodani's captain both leaning on a wall as if listening to something. Near them sitting on a stone fence, Kozume Kenma sat, hands holding on to a device and as usual, playing.

Feeling curious all of a sudden, the Karasuno middle blocker step forward, closely followed by his teammate.

"What are you guys doing?" the first year middle blocker asked the two third years, who both put their fingers on their lips, shushing him. The bedhead captain gestured for the two Karasuno players to come forward a little more and after looking at each other in confusion, the two complied.

"Kuro, let's go back." Kenma complained. "We already found the volleyball you lost earlier. We shouldn't be in here."

"We just heard something interesting." Kuro explained in almost a whisper, ignoring Kenma completely.

"Are you eavesdropping?" Kageyama asked with a frown on his face. The cat captain just grinned at him before gesturing at him again to keep quiet.

 _"So Hina-chan, who is it?"_ They heard a voice asked, who is probably Yukie, one of Fukurodani's managers.

 _"Huh? What do you mean?"_ The girl replied, voice filled with confusion.

_"I mean out of all the boys from your team, who do you like the most? You know, as in like-like."_

A long silence followed the question and from where they are standing, Kageyama and Tsukishima stilled. Bokuto and Kuroo leaned more on the wall to listen, finding the topic very interesting and maybe, trying to get some new information that they can use for teasing. Kenma on the other hand, paused the game he is playing as he turned to the other boys.

"Are you sure we should be listening to this?" he asked in wary, though his eyes cannot hide the curiosity behind it.

"Shhh, Kenma, we're just curious." Kuroo just grinned at him meaningfully. "And also, are you sure you don't want to know?"

The pudding head just stared at him in a deadpan manner, but before he can open his mouth to speak, they heard another voice.

_"W-What?!There's no one like that! We're all just friends!"_

_"Really? So no one has tried to court you?"_

_"No!"_

_"Oh. I thought for sure that your setter has a crush on you."_

Kageyama suddenly choked out of nowhere, face rapidly turning red at what he just heard. The two captains stared at him with an 'oh' expression before smirking.

"Oya, oya?"

"Oya, oya, oya?"

"I don't have a crush on her!"

_"He doesn't have a crush on me!"_

The cat captain scurried forward to cover the setter's mouth and luckily, they were not heard because the girl shouted at the same time.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. _Still being in denial, King._ He thought irritably.

Kenma completely stopped playing, setting aside his device (so he can run away at any moment), but remained at where he was sitting, eyes studying the rival setter. _He's definitely in denial._

_"Why do you say so, Hina-chan?"_

_"Because he's Kageyama."_ the girl emphasized as if it's obvious. _"There's no way someone like him would ever have a crush. Especially on me."_

_"But he's always very protective of you."_

_"Yukie-chan, I think the whole Karasuno team is protective of her."_

_"Oh yeah, you're right."_

_"I-I don't think he likes me that way."_

_"Besides, he's so grumpy, so demanding, and so...so...annoying! He always have this gwaahhh expression on his face and it was so scary and do you know that animals are scared of him?And yeah, he's always shouting at me as if I'm the biggest idiot in the world though honestly he's just as dumb as me."_

_"Wow, that's so negative. Doesn't he have any likable attitude?"_

_"Likable and Kageyama doesn't work together, you know. "_

Tsukishima covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing while beside him, Kageyama bristled in anger, tick marks appearing on his forehead. Across them, Kuroo mouthed _'don't mind'_ which irritated him more.

_"Really? Not even a bit?"_

_"Well, he's not too bad sometimes."_ The girl admitted after a while, tone suddenly becoming bashful.

_"Despite his attitude, he's one of the most reliable person on the team and for me, he's the most amazing player and the one I needed to beat the most. Also, he's already a genius but he still works hard to be the best. I think that's very admirable. And..."_

_"And?"_

_"He can be sweet if he wants to. He gave me chocolates one time when I was not feeling well..."_

_"That's so sweet!"_

_"Hina-chan, you're blushing."_

_"I-I'm not! And please, don't tell him I just said that!"_

Kageyama's eyes widened at this new information, cheeks slowly returning to it's earlier red hue. He turned his gaze to the ground, feeling shy all of a sudden but more than that, he's... confused. _Why is he feeling so pleased after hearing that?_

The blonde megane stared at the raven haired boy in surprise, eyes studying his confused expression. _Chocolates?_

"Chocolates, huh? You're moving so fast, man." Bokuto commented, and the first year's expression suddenly changed to glare at the older boy. The owl captain doesn't seem to be bothered as he opened his mouth to speak but Kuroo suddenly shuts him up by putting a hand on his mouth. "Shh. There's more."

 _"Oh, oh!"_ they heard the Shinzen manager suddenly piped in. _"How about Kozume-san? I saw him lend you his jacket last summer and I think it's so sweet!"_

_"Yeah, I remembered that too! That's the time we helped Hina-chan dressed up."_

_"The boys cannot take their eyes off her."_

_"No, not Kenma too. He doesn't like me that way."_

Kenma froze upon hearing his name and feelings being talked about. Remembering what happened last summer, Kuroo snickered at his direction.

_"What can you say about him?"_

_"Are you seriously going to ask me what I think about every boy here?"_

_"Oh come on, it's totally fine! And besides, you said that they're only your friends right?"_

_"Okay, fine. He's amazing."_

_"He's very smart and reliable, and is a very hard opponent to defeat. The whole Nekoma team cares about him and well... who doesn't? Kenma's a shy guy and bit straightforward sometimes but he's one of the most caring boy I know. Though he doesn't show it often."_

_"Compared to the previous one, that's all positive."_

_"Because he doesn't shout at me like Bakeyama does. If he ever dated someone, I'm sure he'll make that girl happy. He's so sweet."_

_"Why don't you date him then?"_

_"I told you, he doesn't like me like that! And we're only friends!"_

Kenma turned his face away so that the others cannot see his face. Kuroo patted him on the back half-sympathetically and half-teasingly.

 _"Ne, ne. How about that blonde tall guy? The handsome one with the glasses?"_ They heard Kaori spoke this time.

_"Tsukishima?"_

_"Yeah, him. I think he likes you too."_

_"Eh?"_

It was now Tsukishima's turn to feel flustered, though unlike Kageyama, he has a better job in hiding it. He scoffed in annoyance as he turned to the others who seems to be studying him, especially the pudding head with his intense gaze and the raven-haired setter with his glare. "This is stupid. Are we really going to continue listening to their girl talk?"

"Don't run away now Tsukki. It's your time to shine." the cat captain winked at him.

 _"I- I think that will never happen."_ Hinata denied _._

_"As in never. Never ever. He hates me. Seriously, he's just as bad as Kageyama!"_

_"Hinata, I don't think he hates you."_

_"But he's always teasing me! He never teases you, Yachi-san, though when it comes to me, he's so harsh and straightforward. And he always calls me shrimp because of my height!"_

They heard the girl huffed.

_"Seriously, his personality is so salty. He's tall, blonde and salty. He's like a WacDonald's french fry. Saltyshima. "_

"Pfft." Kuroo and Bokuto smothered their laughter while Kageyama cannot stop snickering.

A sudden shadow loomed behind Tsukishima's glasses, as he thought of ways on how to murder the girl.

_"But he somehow helped you, right?"_

_"Yeah, he's very annoying but he helped me a lot for my exam. Kageyama and I passed the tests because he's one of those who helped... so I guess he's not that bad."_

_"You already kissed, right?"_

A complete silence followed the statement, both from the girls' side and the boys' side.

Kenma, Kuroo and Bokuto looked at Tsukishima, their eyes wide with shock, mouths hanging open, while the poor boy can no longer hide the blush that surfaced on his face. The megane covered his face with his hand, turning it away from the group. Kageyama just huffed and clenched his fists, suddenly remembering the incident that he admitted was partially his fault.

 _"Shi-Shimuzu-senpai!"_ they heard the girl shrieked while the others gasp at the information.

_"Really?! They kissed?'_

_"How did that happen? Did he confessed to you? Who made the first move?"_

_"It was only an accident! We didn't mean to kiss!"_

As the gingerhead explained what happened to the other girls, Tsukishima looked like he will pass out while listening.

He knew it. Eavesdropping is a very bad idea.

"Man... you Karasuno folks are so fast." Bokuto commented, staring at Tsukki with awe.

Kuroo just nodded in agreement and whistled, before turning to the pudding head beside him. "Ne, Kenma. You need to step up your game." he whispered to the quiet teen who gaved him a troubled look.

"What are you talking about? It's not like I'm competing here..."

_"Is that your first kiss?"_

_"Uhm... yeah..."_

_"Awww, too bad it was all an accident. I still think he likes you though."_

_"I told you he does not... Can we just not talk about it, please?"_

_"But seriously Hinata-chan, can't you tell if a guy likes you or not?"_

_"How can I know if they will not tell me? And besides, who will like someone like me?"_

_There's a lot, actually._ The boys and girls think in unison.

_"Unfortunately, that's really the case with Hinata. She didn't even realized that Oikawa-san was flirting with her not until he announced in front of the team his intention of dating her."_

_"Shimizu-senpai! Why do you have to tell them that too?"_

_"I think it's okay if it's just between us girls. It's not like someone will hear or listen to us anyway."_

(Outside, the boys shifted guiltily and nervously.)

_"Oikawa-san? Isn't he the popular setter from Miyagi? What's his team again?"_

_"Aoba Johsai."_

_"Wow, Hina-chan. You sure are attracting a lot of handsome boys. I'm almost envious."_

_"I don't think he really mean what he said. He's not a bad guy because he saved me... but he's a bit of a playboy? There's a lot of girls out there who are taller and prettier than me and I think he will like them better."_

_"You're downplaying yourself, Hinata. That's rare."_

_"I'm just telling the truth, Yachi-san."_

A moment of silence followed, before it was broken by Yukie's comment.

_"I still think KageHina should happen..."_

_"KageHina?"_

_"Kageyama and Hinata. My OTP."_

_"Eh? It should be KenHina. It's obvious he likes her."_

_"Tsk, tsk, tsk. TsukkiHina for the win. They already kissed remember?"_

_"Wi-will you please stop creating ship names for me?!"_ The girl wailed in embarrassment. On the other side, the three boys are feeling the same.

_"Well, what's your type then? Don't you even have a crush?"_

_"C-crush? Well..."_

_"Oh my gosh, she's blushing!"_

_"I knew it! There's someone! Who is it?"_

The boys outside perked up at this information, Tsukishima suddenly turning to Kageyama with a frown.

"Is that girl even capable of liking someone?"

"Why are you asking me? I don't know."

"This is fun."

_"Well, he's from another team, right?"_

_"Come on, we'll keep it a secret."_

_"It's... I just... I don't know if you can call it a crush...I just think he's so kind, talented and... pretty."_

_"Oh I think I know who that is."_

_"I sort of expected it."_

_"Akaashi again eh? Well, I can't blame you."_

"Akaashi?!" Bokuto exclaimed. He then suddenly realized that he said it aloud and he covered his mouth too late, while the other boys looked at him in alarm.

On the other side, the girls stopped talking.

_"Did you hear that?"_

_"What?"_

_"I'm sure I heard someone shouted."_

_"Someone's listening?!"_

_"Let's look outside the window."_

The boys looked at each other in horror, before they all dashed away and hide at the other side of the building where the girls can't see them.

"No one's here." they heard one of the managers announced from the window, and they all held their breath in nervousness.

"Really? I'm sure I heard someone. He even sounds like Bokuto."

Behind the wall, the others glared at the boy in question, who looked guilty.

"Maybe you just heard him shouting from another room. Knowing that guy, he has a very loud voice that can travel across miles, so that's not surprising."

"Mmmm. Yes, maybe you're right."

"Just close the window please."

When they heard the sound of the window being closed, the crows, cats, and owl all sighed in relief. Kuroo gave the other captain a deadpan look.

"You almost got us caught."

"S-sorry. I was just surprised."

"Please, let's not do this again." Tsukishima mumbled exasperatedly.

"I agree." Kenma mutterred back.

"It's dangerous." Kageyama added.

"Fine, fine. Sorry for dragging you into this." Kuroo apologized, before he grinned at the younger teens. "Well, at least we learned some classified information."

"I still think what we did is inappropriate."

"Too late for that though, Kenma. "

After that incident, the boys, particularly the three younger teens, decided that never again will they listen to a girls' talk. It's dangerous, even more dangerous than a ball flying towards your face.

Some things are better unknown.

* * *

**EXTRA:**

The next day, Akaashi Keiji was so confused at what's happening.

First, the genius setter from Karasuno was staring at him in an intense manner and he's not sure why. All he did was smile at the only female player at the camp, who thanked him brightly when he helped her carry the volleyball nets for setup.

Next, the Nekoma setter was giving him a calculating look while they were playing for a match that day. While it is normal for the cat to be this observant, he can't help but think that more balls seems to be coming his way from the other setter's setup. To add to that, the cat captain keeps sending him a sly grin, which confused him more.

And lastly, Tsukishima seems to be studying him as well while they're at the third gym and practicing with Kuroo, Bokuto and Lev. When he asked him about it, he said that he's just admiring his setup. Which coming from the boy, is weird.

When he told Bokuto all about it, the owl captain just laughed and patted him on the back, while saying "Don't mind!". When he asked him what it means, the captain just winked him at him before saying "It's a secret!"

 _Ugh. Never mind._ The setter thought. _If it's something that Bokuto-san finds amusing, I'd rather not know._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I tried to make a special chapter for this special occasion but I just couldn't do it, so let me just greet you guys a Happy Halloween!


	8. Sports Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My own version of the Karasuno's sports day.
> 
> Though the manga version is still the best, I was laughing so hard while reading it lmao. :-D

8.

* * *

If someone's going to ask the Karasuno's volleyball club who their fastest player is, they probably wouldn't believe the answer.

And honestly, no one will believe it, until they will see it with their own eyes.

For the said club, it is a common sight to see an orange haired girl running from one side of the court to the other in a stunning speed, scoring points in a flash before the others can even move.

Even Kageyama, who often has a running match with the girl will begrudgingly admit that sometimes the girl was able to defeat him, proven by their 50-50 score tally.

However, this knowledge is not known to everyone, and what a big shock this revelation was during the day of the Karasuno's sports festival.

On that particular sunny day, one of the most popular event is the individual race and each club must select one representative from their team to join the said race. And of course, the Karasuno volleyball club chose their very own tiny middle blocker as the participant, intending to give everyone a surprise.

And truthfully, they did.

Nishinoya and Tanaka couldn't look any prouder as they saw their kohai dashed her way through the 100 meters racing line, leaving her opponents in dusts as she first reached the finish line. When the commentator announced her name as the winner, Tanaka lifted Nishinoya in the air, both shouting proudly. Tsukishima beside them grimaced at the noise, but he looked at the orange haired girl proudly as she celebrated her win.

Smiling in victory, Hinata turned to her teammates and flashed them a peace sign, while they in return were clapping and giving her a thumbs up.

Behind her, the other players who reached the finish line just a few seconds after the girl gaped at her in disbelief. While she's not the only female player on the race (because there are some from the women's volleyball club and dancing club), she's still the smallest racer, and they never thought that she will turn out to be the winner.

"Holy shit. She's so fast!"

"Those short legs of her were insane!"

"I can't believe this is happening!"

"Congratulations, Hinata!" Yachi cheered as the girl went back to her team. "That was so amazing."

"Thank you, Yachi-san!" the middle blocker responded happily.

"You totally shocked them, huh? This is fun." Sugawara laughed. "Well, if that's the case, are you ready for the next rounds?"

"We still have the 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and the final race right?" Hinata asked, opening the cap of her water bottle to drink. "Leave all those to me!"

And she didn't disappoint.

For the 200 meters and 400 meters run, she still surpassed everyone with her speed, and the other teams, particularly the boys, can't help but exclaim their complaints.

"This is so unfair!"

"Is she really allowed to participate in all of the races? That's cheating!"

"Sorry, but we do not have a rule regarding that." the event organizer explained. "The teams can choose whoever they wanted to participate, no matter how many times that person will play."

"But they're the men's volleyball club, right? Why is a girl representing their team?"

"She's still a registered member of their team."

"Oi! Are you all seriously complaining about being defeated by a girl?" Tanaka roared, with Nishinoya hissing in the background. "Whoever said that, come here and fight me!"

"Tanaka, don't pick up a fight." Daichi scolded, though his expression, like the rest of the team, shows irritation at what's happening.

"Instead of complaining, you should all just do your best to win the race." Tsukishima commented.

"Losers." Kageyama muttered under his breath.

Behind him, Hinata frowned. "Y-yeah! I might be a girl, but I'm doing my best here! There's no problem with that!" she exclaimed, offended.

That silenced the other participants, as they all turned away from her, embarrassed.

And also, they can't help it. She's too cute when she's angry.

But there's one player though, who is still not happy at what's happening.

When all the players were called for the 800 meters race, a tall, dark haired boy standing beside Hinata turned to her, giving a sneer.

"You're not going to win this one, midget. " he said tauntingly.

The gingerhead, who was put off by the unfriendly attitude, glared at him. "What did you just called me?!"

The male just smirked but did not answer.

He, as the ace of the Karasuno's soccer club, will win this race. He will prove to everyone that he's the fastest runner here, not that girl.

But a few seconds after, he was proven wrong.

Because once again, she won the race.

* * *

"This is bad." the captain of the soccer club said in frustration while everyone was waiting for the final race to start. "Are we seriously losing to a girl?!"

"Captain, I think that girl is not human." one of the club members said.

"She's a monster. Seriously, I never saw any high school girl run as fast as her!"

"The volleyball club must be celebrating right now."

"Tch, it's them again."

"Hayato."

The dark haired boy looked up from where he was sitting, the frustration on his face still clear at his earlier loss.

"We need to win this final race. You understand that, right?" the captain asked in a serious tone.

"Yes."

"Don't let yourself be defeated again by that little girl. You're our ace. " the expression turned to annoyance. "And don't let that volleyball club have the last win."

"Understood." the boy answered, putting down his water bottle and staring at the orange haired girl on the other side who is laughing with her teammates.

_I need to win._

_I'll do anything just to win._

* * *

"The final race is about to start. For the players, please move forward to the starting line, please." the host of the event announced.

"Are you ready, Hinata?" Sugawara asked their female middle blocker who was just done with her stretching. Feeling hyped with her previous wins, she turned to him, smiling brightly.

"Yes, sir!"

"Win this again, Shoyou!" Nishinoya exclaimed. "I know you can do it."

"Yes, sir, Nishinoya-senpai!" the girl saluted at him, which delighted the older boy as he ruffled her hair. Asahi smiled at the sight and turned to Suga.

"So, is this final race going to be the same as last year?"

"It seems to be that way." the vice captain answered. "Hinata, be careful out there, okay?"

"Huh? Is there going to be a problem?" the girl inquired confusedly.

"Not really. It's just that this final race is also an obstacle race, meaning, there will be some climbing, crawling and dodging. You just need to be careful and try not to fall or injure yourself."

"Ohhh... that sounds more exciting!" Hinata blurted with stars in her eyes.

"He just said not to injure yourself. Why do you look so excited?" Tsukishima piped in, raising his brow at the girl. Hinata turned to him and huffed.

"I know and I got it! I'll be careful!" she complained. "I'm just excited with the challenge, that's all."

"Don't you dare lose on this, dumbass." Kageyama sneered at her. "If you lose, you have to treat me with a meat bun for the whole week."

"If I win, make sure you have the money for that as well, Bakeyama." the gingerhead challenged back.

"Hinata, you need to go now." Daichi said, interrupting the two. He patted her on the shoulder, beaming. "I know you can do this."

"Go, kohai!" Tanaka cheered. "Show them what you got!"

"I'll do my best!" Hinata cheered back as she waved at her teammates and started to run towards the starting line. Upon getting at her place, she took a deep breath as she waited for the signal to start.

Feeling a pair of eyes focused intently on her, she spun around confusedly to look at the said person. However, since the other players are hustling here and there to get to their positions, she wasn't able to find the source.

Blinking confusedly, she turned her head forward.

_That was weird. Who's that?_

"Everyone, on your mark!"

_Nevermind. I need to win this._

And when the shot was heard, the race started.

As soon as the sound reached her ears, Hinata immediately sprinted forward, taking the lead easily as she ran through the direction going towards the first obstacle. Upon seeing the location, she grinned.

_I can do this!_

Everyone who was watching stood in awe as the girl successfully weaved around a couple of pylons standing at her way while she's still keeping the lead. Considering how she easily dodged each obstacle, it is evident how the girl is used to moving this way.

"Wow! That girl is really fast!"

"She's clearing the first course so easily!"

It took a few more seconds before the others could catch up, but by that time, the girl already started with the second course.

The next obstacle is a bit tricky, as the participants need to go through a set of hoops and using a quick feet, they need to run through the hoops as quicky as possible with one foot in each hoop. But of course, being the athletic girl that she is, Hinata easily finished the course with not much of a sweat.

And then she was already running towards the next location, which includes climbing on a large net.

With her short but fast limbs and a lot of experience in tree climbing, the girl was quickly making it to the top while the others are struggling due to a fear of height and lack of stamina.

"What?! She can climb that fast too?"

"Is she really a girl?!"

Kageyama can't help but smirked as he heard the members from the other clubs commenting in disbelief at what they're seeing.

(Secretly, he's proud, but he will never admit it).

"Hinata Shoyou from the volleyball club just finished the net climbing in a stunning speed! She's currently on the lead!" the host announced as the volleyball club cheered. "And now she's heading towards the next course! But oh, what's this? Someone's catching up!"

Hayato from the school's soccer club just got away from the net and is currently catching up with the girl, panting heavily. _What's up with her energy?_

With all his strength and speed, he continued to speed forward until he's already side by side with the girl, who looked at him in surprise before a determined look took over her features.

"Hayato from the soccer club caught up in the lead! They're already tied at the first place!" the host announced.

"Whoa, that other guy sure is fast." Yamaguchi commented while sitting beside Tsukishima, who despite looking bored, has his eyes following the girl's action.

"And now we're halfway through the race! Next up, we have the dodgeball! If you got hit, you're out! And be careful of the pool and try not to fall!"

The two leading participants have reached the school's swimming pool and upon entering, a couple of soccer balls were immediately thrown at their way. A ball missed Hinata on the face and she almost stumbled.

"Yikes! That almost got me!" she exclaimed in alarm while trying to dodge the other projectiles coming in her way. Dodging while running is definitely hard, plus, there's the danger of falling into the deep waters at their side.

On the other hand, Hayato felt like he was being left behind again as the dodging while running process slows him down. The girl ahead of him seems to be struggling as well, however, she's nearly at the end of the course and will move ahead soon. In a sudden frustration, he gritted his teeth.

_I cannot lose on this._

With hardened eyes, he tried to catch up with the gingerhead until he managed to get at least a few inches behind her.

He sped forward a little more and when he was already beside her, he purposely shoved her to the side, towards the left, where the pool was.

And poor Hinata, who was not prepared for this turn of events, lose her balance, and fell.

She remembered stumbling into the cool water, and she remembered herself trying to swim up while being submerged underneath. However, since she _cannot_ swim, the effort is futile.

Pool water filled her lungs and she choked.

And then she knew no more.

* * *

"A dodgeball beside the pool?" Ennoshita said, while the team and the other spectators move to the other side to watch the two players enter the pool zone.

"That's rough." Kinoshita answered nervously, watching as a couple of soccer balls were spiked or rather kicked towards the players. "If it was me, I'll be out in a second."

"I think I will be too." Narita agreed. They all held their breath as a ball almost hit the girl in the face, barely dodging it as she almost stumbled.

"I'm getting nervous all of a sudden."

"Asahi, you're not even the one playing."

"But you look nervous too, Suga."

"Shoyou's still doing a good job!" Nishinoya exclaimed, pumping his fist. "I know she can do it!"

"Yeah! We need to believe in her!" Tanaka added. "She's still on the lead!"

"The other one is quickly catching up, though. " Yamaguchi pointed at Hayato, seeing as he started to increase his speed to reach the girl. Nishinoya turned to him madly.

"Yamaguchi! Whose side are you on?!"

The freckled teen flailed his hands and tried to defend himself from Nishinoya's wrath. "I-I'm just saying...huh?"

He was unable to finish his sentence as his eyes widened at the sight. Seeing his sudden expression, Nishinoya turned to look as well, and his expression turned into a shocked one.

"Hinata Shoyou just fell into the pool! What a turn of an event this is!" the commentator paused for a few seconds. "But what's this? She's not swimming up! Wait, is she drowning?!"

Kiyoko and Yachi gasped, and the third years stood frozen.

From where he was sitting on the ground, Tsukishima shot up in alarm, and Kageyama, without another word, hastily turned to run, not caring nor apologizing while he bumped into the other students. His mind is only filled with one thought.

_That idiot!_

After a moment of shocked silence, the entire Karasuno's volleyball club run and followed their first year setter, as whispers started to surround them.

Upon reaching the pool, they saw him just in time as he jumped into the water, trying to save the girl who has yet to come to the surface.

And suddenly, what started as a day of victory ended into a day of misfortune.

* * *

Someone is calling her name.

"-nata! Oi! Hinata!"

_Who's that?_

"Shoyou! Wake up!"

"Sh-She's not waking up! What do we do?!"

"Someone needs to do a CPR!"

"Hinata!" Someone wailed.

_Are they talking to me?_

Air suddenly comes to her lungs and she sputtered and turn to the side, coughing off pool water. She breathed heavily. _Ugh. My chest hurts._

"Hinata?"

Her eyes felt heavy and lidded but slowly, she opened them up, meeting a pair of blue eyes staring at her frantically. Upon seeing her woke up, she saw that the worry in his eyes was suddenly replaced with relief, and then she felt a pair of arms surround her body tightly, almost crushingly.

"K-Kageyama?" she asked, too tired to question why the setter is hugging her.

"You're an idiot." he whispered shakily. "Why didn't you tell us you can't swim?"

"H-huh?"

"Hinata!" someone cried in relief, and she turned her gaze to see Yachi kneeling beside her, eyes filled with tears. Kageyama let go of her body and the blonde haired girl quickly grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'm glad you're okay! I thought you died!"

"Sorry Yachi-san." she apologized. She looked around her and saw the other members of the club staring at her with mixed concern and relief in their eyes. Nishinoya and Tanaka were surprisingly quiet, and their gaze held something like anger in it.

"Can you sit up?" Tsukishima asked, eyes uncharacteristically troubled and hands trembling. Hinata nodded her head and tried to sit up, though she struggled. Kageyama and Yachi were both watching her, hands ready to assist just in case. When she has successfully sat up, the megane immediately covered her body with a towel, hiding her translucent white shirt.

"Is everything alright?" a couple of teachers and students come running to their location.

"I'm okay." Hinata answered as one of the teachers knelt in front of her to check her condition.

"That's good. Let us help bring you to the infirmary." the teacher said gently, helping her to stand up.

"Who won?" the girl asked her teammates. She noticed their expression turned sour at the mention, with Nishinoya and Tanaka clenching their fists.

"You still care about the results, eh?" Sugawara sighed. "Don't worry about it, Hinata."

"Where is he?" Nishinoya suddenly growled, and everyone turned to look at his livid expression. "Where is that bastard?"

"Nishinoya." Daichi tried to warn their libero.

"I saw what he did." Tanaka said in a low voice. "What could have happened if she did drown?"

"This event was cancelled and the result was voided." another teacher responded, also standing beside Hinata. "Any form of cheating cannot be tolerated."

"I hope there's a proper action on this, sensei." the captain said politely, despite the slight edge on his tone.

"Don't worry, we have already looked into it." the teacher responded with a grim expression. "But for now, let us get Ms. Hinata changed into a new set of dry clothes and have her checked into the infirmary for any possible injuries."

"I-I'll come with you, sensei." Yachi volunteered. "I'll help her change."

"I'll come too." Kiyoko announced. She turned to the other players and nodded her head. "Don't worry, we'll look after her. Just worry about winning the rest of the events." She gave them a determined look. " I know you guys can take care of it, right?"

"Of course." the third years responded.

"We'll see you soon, Hinata." Sugawara said before the girls and the teachers leave. The gingerhead smiled weakly, before giving them a thumbs up.

When they left, Daichi turned to the other players. Nishinoya and Tanaka's expression still didn't change and they're still trembling from rage. Kageyama and Tsukishima's face looked unreadable, but at least the very worried expression they're sporting earlier were now gone. Sugawara rubbed his eyes while Asahi patted him on the back, face serious.

"All right, guys. We're going to win this." Daichi announced, hands fisting on his side. "Let's show them what will happen if they messed up with one of our members."

They all nodded their heads with a newfound determination.

The incident caused a new emotion to appear inside each player's heart and whether it's a feeling of vengeance or not, they don't care. They will win these games.

* * *

After that day and particular incident, rumors flew in the school and soon enough, the Karasuno men's volleyball club gained the reputation of a "club filled with monsters".

Terrifying. Ruthless. Unforgiving. Those are among the words that were used to describe the team who crushed the other clubs into a pulp during the sports festival.

(Well, there's a bit of exaggeration in there. They did not crush everyone. Only the soccer club.)

The others also learned that they should never, ever try to cheat, or use any underhanded tactics during these events, unless they want to face the wrath of the volleyball crows or be suspended.

And yes, Hayato was only suspended for a whole month because his parents argued that the boy didn't know the girl can't swim, and that they should give him another chance.

This greatly disappointed the volleyball players, and they were about to protest if Hinata didn't beg them to just let it go. Sighing in defeat, they relented. However, as Tanaka mentioned, the Hayato guy better stay away from their team or else he will be devoured. Alive.

And luckily, Hinata didn't catch a cold or get sick after what happened, so she was still able to go to school the next day and join the practice. Though during the practice, she noticed that the other members won't let her do some chores and some are acting very weirdly (Tsukishima ruffled her hair without a word when he first saw her that afternoon and Kageyama was not shouting at her like usual).

Speaking of the raven haired setter, he was unusually quiet as the two were walking home that night. Hinata, sensing that the boy seems troubled, tried to gain his attention.

"Uhm... you want to pass by the store to buy meat buns?" she asked carefully. The boy stopped walking and just stared at her.

"Are you hungry?"

"N-not really. But I owe you meat buns for the bet remember?" the girl reminded him and suddenly, the boy frowned.

"I don't want it." he said gruffly before walking ahead. Confused, the girl hastened her pace while following him.

"I thought that's the deal. Are you...mad?"

He didn't answer. The gingerhead keeps on observing him from the back before lowering her gaze to the ground. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Look... I'm sorry if I worried you guys. And I'm sorry if I didn't tell you that I can't swim... I thought I don't need to since we do not have any swimming event."

"When I saw you unconscious and not breathing, I was so afraid." the boy suddenly confessed as he again stopped walking. He turned around and Hinata's eyes widened at the tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.

"Please don't do it again." he breathed out.

Staring at the unusual display of emotions appearing on his face, Hinata felt her own eyes water. She suddenly remembered the fear she felt that time, when she thought that she will not be able to survive and that she will leave some precious people behind.

Slowly, she took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around the boy, making him stiffen.

Burying her face on his chest, she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I promise, I won't do it again."

With his heart thumping loudly on his chest (he wonders if the girl can hear it), his eyes softened, as he raised his arms to hug her back.

"You better keep that promise, idiot."

The girl nodded her head and mumbled. "Mmmm."

The moment only lasted for a few more seconds before the girl looked up to him, smiling.

"You still want some meat buns?"

At the small proximity of their faces, he felt his face turning hot. He slowly let go of her and coughed on his hand, trying to hide his blush.

"Sure." he answered, before adding. "I'll be paying."

The girl gave a small cheer at this, and he quickly turned around.

With his cheeks still aglow, he cannot stop a small smile forming from his lips.

* * *

Watching the duo left, Tsukishima sighed.

He put the headphone on his ears and turned around, walking back to the street that leads to his house.

_Looks like there's nothing to worry about._ He thought, amidst the music playing on his ears. _She's already okay._

But then suddenly, he remembered the emotional hug he witnessed, and somewhere inside his chest tightened.

_Nothing to worry about._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, no hate in soccer here (it's a great sport). I just made one of the members of the Karasuno's soccer team as the 'bad guy' who will push Karasuno's patience into a limit for what he did.
> 
> Also, this scene was inspired by that one episode from Kaichou wa Maid-sama, where Misaki destroyed all the boys (though it's Usui who actually won the final race).
> 
> And that's all for now. See you on the next chap!


	9. Challenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: For non-manga readers, this contains spoilers from the Nationals tournament arc. Please read at your own risk.

9.

* * *

It was their second night in Tokyo.

After watching the video of the Inarizaki team (who will be their next opponent and to their absolute luck- also one of the _seeded_ teams) and discussing their strategy for tomorrow's match, everyone went ahead to their rooms to end the day and sleep.

While most of the players were immediately knocked down (like Nishinoya and Kageyama), one player in particular couldn't find it in herself to sleep. It is surprising that after the grueling match they had for that day and the exhaustion it brought, the girl can't keep her eyes closed no matter how hard she tried. Groaning, she pulled the cover from her head and searched for her phone to look at the current time.

9:00 pm.

She stared at the ceiling and contemplated for a bit, before making a decision and pulling the covers off her , she stood up and walked towards her bag to get her sweater, and then brushed her long, wild mane of hair for a bit.

Yachi, who was still awake and is currently studying, looked at the girl in surprise. "You're going somewhere, Hinata?"

"I cannot sleep, Yachi-san." the orange-haired girl whined, as she slip on her sweater and put on her scarf. "Maybe if I go outside and walk for a bit, I'll get sleepy."

"But it's already dark outside. It will be dangerous." the blonde said worriedly. "And it's freezing cold."

"I'll be back immediately, don't worry." Hinata tried to reassure her friend. "Thirty minutes at most. Promise."

The other girl frowned a bit. "I still don't think it's a good idea. But please be careful, okay?"

"I'll be careful. Thanks Yachi-san!"

With that, the orange-haired girl slowly opened the door from their room and tiptoed her way through the corridor, being careful so that she won't disturb her sleeping teammates.

Opening the door of their inn, she was immediately met with the cold blast of the wind which creeps to her exposed skin and send a thousand chills down her spine. She shuddered at the coldness but still continued to walk outside, away from the said place.

Strolling around, she observed her surroundings from the people hastily walking here and there, to the bright lights of the large establishments.

"Waahhh... This is definitely different from Miyagi..." she said admiringly, eyes roaming around. Looking up to one of the large buildings, her attention was suddenly caught by the Nationals tournament advertisement that was flashed on a large TV screen. _That's right. We're currently playing at the Nationals._

Removing her gaze from the screen, she continued walking, her mind running with many thoughts. Her mind first went to the match they just had that day and the things she learned from it, until it came across one event in particular that she can't easily forget.

_Hoshiumi Korai._

She recalled the guy she met that day, who is undeniably the closest to becoming the Little Giant as far as she knows and hate to admit. Well, first of all, he's a guy. And second, he's older and has more experience, his jump is higher, and he is very good at everything else. Watching the guy's match earlier, she was left awed and inspired. But still, she can't help a small part of her that feels intimidated.

_He's definitely better than me on everything. Can I win against him?_

She sighed and shook her head. _Anyway, I should not think of him for now. We have to win our match for tomorrow first-_

"Hey! You're alone, little girl?"

With her thoughts suddenly cut, she looked up and found herself in a park (which she did not notice while she was walking). Standing in front of her is a very tall guy, wearing a spiky, red hair and has multiple piercings on his ears. His wide smile looks harmless on the outside, but she knows that this kind of thing can be deceiving. To her unfortunate luck, he was not alone. Behind him are a couple of other guys who were also hanging out in the park, possibly doing something troublesome.

"Oh, who's that little bunny?" another one of them asked.

Gulping in nervousness, she did not answer and just took a step back, ready to run away.

Hinata is definitely a naive girl, but she knows danger when it's so obvious. Plus with what she experienced back in the Miyagi tournament (which involves a certain handsome captain), she's more wary whenever she sees a group of unfamiliar guys, especially the delinquent-looking ones. The guy in front of her took another step forward and for a moment, she stilled.

_Crap._

With all her remaining strength and energy, she immediately turned around and run as fast as she could, away from the park and from the guys who started chasing after her.

"Oi! Come back here, cutie!"

"We're not yet done talking!"

 _This is bad! What have I done?!_ The girl thought in panic as she run away from the group. She weaved her way through the crowd of people on the street, turning into different corners in hopes of losing them.

When she decided to look back and saw none of their figures, she almost slumped on the ground in relief. However, staring around and realizing where she currently is, she froze.

"Wait... where am I?"

The last corner she turned into leads to a street she's not familiar with. They did not even pass by this area when they went out jogging yesterday, and it has less people compared to the others.

Taking slow and unsure steps, she started walking around, hoping to find any familiar signs she can use as her guide. However, long minutes passed by and the more she walk, the more she finds herself lost. To add to that, she's already getting tired and sleepy, which is actually the reason why she went out in the first place.

"This is bad. I told Yachi-san that I'll only be gone for thirty minutes." the gingerhead said to herself in panic. "If they found out that I went out, they're gonna kill me." She started imagining Kageyama's terrifying glare, and she paled.

"There she is!" someone shouted far away from behind, and her eyes widened in horror. Without looking back, she bursts forward and turned to another corner of the street.

That's when a pair of hands suddenly appeared and grabbed her, dragging her body to a dark, secluded area. Panicking, she started to struggle from her captor's hand and was about to shout if a hand did not cover her mouth.

"Shhh. They're almost here, so be quiet." an unfamiliar voice said and she stilled. A couple of seconds later, she saw the group of delinquent guys running ahead without noticing them, making her breathe with relief. With her heart still pounding loudly in her chest, she looked up to her now so-called savior, and she blinked.

"It's already 10pm." Staring at her dubiously, he released his hold on her body so she can face him directly. "What's a country girl like you doing outside?"

It took a few more moments before the girl could answer his question. "S-sorry, I got lost."

"You don't have anyone to come with you?"

"No. They're already sleeping. I don't want to disturb."

"Geez... be careful next time, will you?"

"O-okay." she gazed at him curiously again with her big, bright, brown eyes. "Sorry... are you Miya Atsumu?"

"Osamu." the boy replied, raising his eyebrow at her. "Atsumu is my twin brother."

"R-really?!" the girl suddenly exclaimed, surprising him as she went closer to inspect his face. "I didn't know he has a twin... man, you looked so alike!"

"Unfortunately so." Osamu replied uncomfortably, staring at the side.

"But wait, you called me a country girl." Hinata said. "It seems like you already know me as well."

"We just watched your videos. You're jump's amazing." the twin complimented without a thought, making the girl stare at him with a delighted expression on her face.

"Really? Thank you then." she responded happily, her bright eyes still glowing inspite of the dark. The boy just stood there meeting her gaze with his indifferent one, before he sighed and grabbed her hand.

"Uh...what?..." the girl was about to ask what he was about to do when he suddenly started walking, dragging her with him.

"They're already gone. You need to go back now."

"Ok...?" she said, a bit flustered as she stared at their intertwined hands.

"I'm just holding you so you won't get lost." the boy answered for her. "Where are you currently staying?"

The girl told him the location and together, they weaved their way through the crowded street. Every once in a while, she will stare at his face, a bit unnerved. He looks so serious and perhaps, a bit bored.

"Uhm, Osamu-san... I'm really glad you help me out there. Is your hotel just within this location?"

"Yes."

"You cannot sleep too?"

"...I went out for a bit because I'm bored. And Tsumu annoys me."

"Your brother is a setter right? I saw his setup and he's so amazing! What position do you play?"

"Wing spiker." he stared at her curiously. "How come you knew Atsumu but knew nothing about me?"

"You're not in the video that we watched."

"Oh. Perhaps I'm sick during that match." he turned his gaze forward. "I can surprise you all then."

"That's so cool!" the girl said excitedly as she pumped her fist. "I'll surprise you all too."

"I look forward to that then." he replied. "But you should be more careful of my idiot brother. After all, he's more talented."

"Huh? Why?"

The girl suddenly stopped walking, making him also halt from his position. He turned to Hinata and saw her staring at him with a curious expression. "Why are you comparing yourself to your brother? You're pretty talented on your own, right?"

He just blinked his eyes. "Ha? But you just met me today. How can you say that?"

"You're part of a powerhouse team. That already tells me you're amazing." Hinata continued, as the boy stared at her with a surprised expression on his handsome face. "Besides, you're so tall. Well, not as tall as Tsukishima or Lev, but height is a great weapon, you know? And if your brother is so talented as you said, I'm sure he became like that because you're at his side."

Processing her words in his mind, a little, unnoticeable red appeared on his face. He turned his gaze to the side, scratching his cheek distractedly.

"Are you sure you want to boost your opponent's confidence?"

"... I'm not actually trying to. But anyway, the point here is you're pretty talented on your own, so don't forget that. And I'm gonna give it my all tomorrow, so don't forget that too."

"...You're weird. If you will continue praising me like that, we might end up defeating your team tomorrow, you know?"

"Huh? But we're not planning to lose though?" she responded.

When he looked back at her face, his eyes widened a bit at her expression.

Her eyes are still wide and curious but unlike before, it's like she's staring directly at his soul. The usual light in her eyes is not visible and all he can see now is the darker shade of her irises pinned on him directly. Her head was tilted a bit and it was so intense that his breath hitched and he couldn't look away...

A moment passed by with them just staring at each other's eyes. When it's already taking a long time and he's not answering, she visibly panicked, her earlier expression gone. In an instant, the spell was broken.

"S-sorry! Did I say something wrong?"

"No." He turned his face away from her, trying to hide the red on his cheeks. "But... thank you."

"I just told you the truth. And, Osamu-san..."

She tagged on his hand making him look at her face again. This time though, she's smiling at him brightly.

"If I really encouraged you, that's good and I don't mind. After all, I prefer beating you at your best." she declared confidently.

For a moment, he just stood there with a shocked expression on his face, his mouth slightly open. After a while, he laughed softly, amazed, before reaching forward and pinching one of her cheeks, making the girl yelped in surprise. "Ok. Mochi."

"Mo-mochi? What's up with that horrible nickname?" Hinata said while rubbing her cheek, pouting.

"I'm just referring to your cheeks."

"Hmmp." the girl grumbled, before looking down at their hands. "By the way Osamu-san, you can let go of my hand now if you want."

"Oh. Sorry." Feeling embarrassed all of a sudden, he let go of her hand.

Realizing that they're still standing in the middle of the street, he take a look at his watch. "We really need to get you back. "

"Sorry if I inconvenienced you. I just don't know my way to this city."

"Have you tried looking at your phone's GPS?"

The girl's mouth formed an 'oh' as she stared at him dumbfounded. "I'm... an idiot. Why didn't I think of that?!"

She immediately searched through her pants' pockets to get her phone and upon opening it, she froze.

12 missed calls.

3 messages from Yachi Hitoka.

4 messages from Kageyama Tobio.

4 messages from Sugawara Koshi.

And at least one message from the rest of her teammates.

_[Yachi Hitoka - 9:35pm]_

_Hinata, are you on your way back?_

_[Yachi Hitoka - 9:45pm]_

_Are you okay? Have you been kidnapped?! Where are you? Answer please!_

_[Yachi Hitoka - 10:00pm]_

_I'll be telling captain now!_

_[Kageyama Tobio- 10:05pm]_

_Oi dumbass! where are u? It's almost midnight, what are u thinking?_

_[Kageyama Tobio- 10:10pm]_

_REPLY TO ME U IDIOT!_

_[Kageyama Tobio- 10:12pm]_

_OI? R U STILL ALIVE?_

_[Kageyama Tobio- 10:15pm]_

_Seriously, where are you? We're all panicking here, dumbass!_

_[Sugawara Koshi- 10:03pm]_

_Hinata, tell me where you are please._

_[Sugawara Koshi- 10:10pm]_

_Hinata?_

_[Sugawara Koshi- 10:15pm]_

_Ok, we're going outside now. Please respond and stay where you are, please._

_[Sugawara Koshi- 10:17pm]_

_Hinata?_

_[Tsukishima Kei - 10:15pm]_

_Where are you?_

"What's the matter?" Osamu asked upon seeing the girl's expression.

"They're all looking for me. Oh no, this is all my fault." the orange head replied almost tearfully.

A new caller comes in and Hinata was shocked to see the name on the screen. _Eh? Him too?_ She immediately pressed the answer button and put the phone in her ear.

"K-Kenma!"

"Shoyou." From the other side, she can clearly hear the relief on his voice. "Where are you?"

"S-sorry! Some guys chased after me and I got lost and I didn't know my phone was in silent and I met this guy and-"

"Shoyou, relax." the pudding head tried to calm her down, though his tone turned worried. "You said that some guys chased after you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Osamu saved me and we're heading back now."

The line became quiet for a moment before the Nekoma setter answered. "Oh. Osamu."

"How did you know what happened?"

"Your captain called Kuro and Kuro told me." he answered simply, before his tone changed into a scolding one. " But seriously Shoyou, don't do this again. Everyone has been worried. Even Lev and Inouka wants to look for you, despite our location being so far away from yours."

"I'm really sorry..."

"It's fine. I'm just glad you're safe." Kenma sighed. "Now, tell me where you are. I'll tell your captain."

When she mentioned their current location (with the help from Osamu), Kenma hung up, and Hinata fell down on her knees, sighing deeply.

"I'm so dead..."

"They're all just worried. Don't think too much about it." the twin said as she looked up to him. "If it was me, I'll probably do the same thing and look for you."

"Maybe you're right. " she stood up and smiled at him sheepishly. "Um... my teammates will be coming here in a few minutes. You can go back now to your hotel to take a rest if you want. Besides, we still have a match tomorrow."

"I can wait for them with you. I definitely can't leave you now."

"But I've troubled you enough already."

"What if those guys came back?"

At the remembrance, she visibly paled and sighed in defeat.

When her teammates came to their location later that night (which includes Kageyama, Noya, Tanaka, Daichi and Sugawara), she was immediately met with words of worry and reprimand, with the latter mostly coming from Kageyama. The girl, who was feeling really guilty, couldn't find it in her heart to snap back and instead just bowed her head and apologized over and over again until they told her to stop.

The Karasuno boys, who were first surprised at seeing Miya Osamu of all people waiting with the gingerhead girl, immediately expressed their thanks to the boy for taking care of their middle blocker.

(In Kageyama's case, it's more of a grunt and an intense gaze which made him raised a brow).

He left a few minutes after, but not before waving his hand goodbye at the girl and saying that he's looking forward to seeing her tomorrow. Hinata happily responded back, thanking him once again and wishing him a good night.

* * *

The boy, who already has his back turned, recalled the intense expression on the girl's face earlier and how she declared that she will defeat him. A small, content smile appeared on his lips, and suddenly, he felt excited for tomorrow's match.

_Damn. That turned me on._

* * *

On the second day of the Nationals tournament , the members of the Karasuno team who are all preparing for their match are inside one of the gyms dedicated for warm up practices.

Kageyama Tobio tossed the ball towards his female teammate who, unknown to him, is currently thinking about something else. The ball hit the girl on the face and she immediately exclaimed in surprise and pain.

"Ow!"

The setter's face turned into an expression of mixed annoyance and guilt, before he scowled at the girl. "Idiot! Why are you not paying attention?!"

"S-sorry! I'm just thinking..."

"You're really into it, aren't cha?" an unfamiliar voice suddenly said and most of the Karasuno players including the first year duo turned to the person who just spoke.

Standing there with an air of absolute confidence is Inarizaki's very own Miya Atsumu. With a smile on his face that greatly resembles that of Oikawa's, he waved a hand at the raven haired first year. "Have you been well, Tobio-kun?"

"Yes."

 _So this is Miya Atsumu?_ The gingerhead thought as she stared at the blonde-haired boy. _His personality is totally different from Osamu's..._

"That's good then. Because I really hate to play matches with people who choke under the pressure of the actual game." And as if in cue, he turned his head towards Hinata, who immediately looked at her back to see if he's taking about someone else. Seeing no one else, she confusedly pointed at herself, silently asking ' _are you talking about me?'._

 _Yikes._ Tsukishima tried to turn his attention at something else.

 _Powerhouses are definitely scary._ Ennoshita said on his mind.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Kageyama answered with a straight face. "I don't choke during games though."

"I know, I know." Atsumu laughed. "I don't know about your teammate though."

"Hey, Kageyama! What are you even apologizing for?!" the decoy exclaimed in annoyance, stomping towards the two high school setters. She head straight towards Atsumu and looked up to him with a frown etched on her face. "And you. I'm not going to lose, so don't underestimate me!"

The Inarizaki player can't help but just blink his eyes down at her in surprise."So you're really a girl..."

"Of course I'm a girl! You have a problem with that?" the gingerhead responded in an offended manner, tick marks appearing on her head.

"No, no." he laughed. "It's just that when I watched you on the TV and on your last play, I couldn't really see it because you're so far away. But..." He leaned down so his face is on the same level and a few inches away from her. "But now I can tell... you really have a pretty face."

He watched in satisfaction as the girl's face turn red at what he said and started stuttering. "W-what are you... I-I'm not..."

"Atsumu-san." he heard Kageyama called his name, making him turned his gaze to the side to see the first year scowling at him in irritation. "I will appreciate it if you will stop teasing my teammate."

"Sorry Tobio-kun." he stood straight, away from the girl's face. "I just find her expressions so adorable."

The boy continued frowning at him. "She's not adorable."

"What did you just say, Kageyama?!"

 _Oh. This is interesting._ The second year smirked as he watched the two arguing. _He's jealous._

_Not to mention that Osamu..._

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later." Atsumu waved goodbye at the two. He smiled at the tiny first year. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you, Shoyou-chan."

"Huh? Bring it on!" the girl responded while pumping her fist. He chuckled at the sight before turning away, humming happily.

_This is really interesting. I'll have my fun teasing Samu later._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's part one of the Hina X twins story.
> 
> I'm really having a hard time writing Osamu's part because you know, he's mischievous like his twin, but he's often hiding it with a bored expression. Hope I got his personality right.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before anything else, thanks for those who reviewed in the past chapters (you know who you are). I really appreciate all your feedback. :-)
> 
> Warning: This contains spoilers from the manga.

10.

* * *

 

 

"Yeah!" the small gingerhead yelled happily as she scored a point for their team. Her other teammates gave her pats on the head and compliments, including even Kageyama with his usual glare.

In front of her at the other side of the net, Miya Osamu stared at the girl in mixed awe and frustration as he failed to stop the quick attack before the ball hit the ground.

His awe on her jumping power was renewed during the first time she stuffed his attack using a dedicated block. Ever since then, the two started competing with each other and though he's been winning most of the time because of his height advantage, she's not wavering. She's still wearing a look of pure determination and while other people finds it annoying, it's not the same case for him. In fact, it's the opposite.

"Don't you dare slack, Samu!"

Of course, if there's one thing that irritates him all the time, it's the loud mouth of his twin brother.

"I was not slacking."

"Stop denying! I know you've been thinking like _'I won't be able to save that attack anyway so why bother',_ and you just stood there like that!"

"Shut your trap. I just wasn't able to react on time and if I suddenly go for that ball, I'll just twist my leg. You don't want me to be out of the game this early, don't you?"

"Then let it be! We don't need a player who can't block or even save a ball, dumbass! Or are you distracted because of Shoyou-chan?"

"...You can't be serious. And why would I be distracted of her?"

"You want me to say it out loud?! You can't take your eyes off-mmf!"

Ojiro Aran suddenly went behind the hysterical setter and covered his mouth before he can have the words out. "Stop shouting. Captain is looking at both of you."

And true, back there at the Inarizaki's side, every player and even the coaches looked on warily as the team captain Kita Shinzuke stared at the twins with a blank expression on his face. Which means it's not good.

Atsumu gulped and decided to keep quiet, but still gave his brother a glare. The other twin just shrugged and stared ahead, his eyes meeting a pair of brown ones. The girl gave him a challenging grin, which he returned much to his brother's annoyance.

Watching the two interact, Suna just gave a deadpan look. _Honestly, Atsumu is right._

"By the way, what does your brother mean when he said that?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Don't listen to whatever he says."

"What I mean to say is you're a _pretty_ good distraction, Shoyou-chan." Atsumu commented with a charming smile, which made the players from the Inarizaki team looked at the second year setter in alarm. Osamu tried to give his twin a kick, which the other easily dodged.

On the Karasuno's side, all the male players bristled.

"What did you just say, punk?" Tanaka tried to threatened with his intimidating face.

On the other hand, the girl turned red at the setter's compliment, completely oblivious to the flirty meaning behind those words. _He's saying I'm an effective decoy!_

Still with reddened cheeks, she looked at the boy with shining eyes and a huge smile on her face. "You really mean that? Thanks!"

Caught of guard, Atsumu looked at the girl with wide eyes. "Y-yeah?" _Why is she making that adorable face?_

"What are you thanking him for, you dumbass?!" Kageyama exclaimed at Hinata in annoyance. The gingerhead jolted at the loud voice and turned to her partner in surprise.

"E-eh? I just thanked him because he said I'm an effective decoy. What's wrong with that?"

Around them, some of the players sweatdropped while the others just face palmed. Suna and Ojiro covered their mouths and looked away, trying to suppress their laughter at their setter's failed attempt in flirting.

Osamu was half-annoyed and half-amused, watching as Atsumu continued staring at the girl's face with his mouth open. _Now, that's a shot down._

"... you're really a dumbass." Kageyama said in disbelief.

"Is 'dumbass' the only word you can say? And why are always acting like that when someone's trying to compliment me? Are you jealous?"

"Jealous?! Why would I be?" the setter denied, face red.

"Because I'm getting all of the attention!"

"...I can't believe this. You're really-"

"STOP IT, YOU TWO!"

The sound of the whistle and Daichi's shout interrupted the moment, and everyone went back to their positions as Asahi was handed the ball for his serve.

At the Inarizaki's side of the court, the gray-haired wing spiker turned to his brother and frowned. "How long are you planning to stare? You look like an idiot."

"...Shut up, Samu."

* * *

They lost.

On their first match in the Nationals tournament, one of the favorites to win the whole thing was defeated by a group of wild crows.

"Looks like we're having too much fun on this, Tsumu."

"Yeah, you're right, Samu."

It was a very intense game and the result really surprised everyone on the court. However, no one would think that Karasuno didn't deserve it; after all, they've put up a big fight. And slowly, the team is becoming one of the most talked about.

"See you later I guess, Tobio-kun." Miya Atsumu said to the raven haired boy as they were having a handshake.

"Yeah. Later."

The second year's eyes went then to the orange-haired girl beside Kageyama. "Shoyou-chan."

"Y-yes?" the girl responded tiredly, eyes almost drooping.

"I'll toss to you one of these days." he declared, making the Karasuno's first year duo blinked at him in confusion.

"But before that, we'll be destroying you on the next Nationals." he said while walking away. His brother who was waiting for him stuck his tounge out.

"Says the loser while walking away."

Atsumu turned to him with a very annoyed look. "You seriously pissed me off."

"Boo."

"Stop it." the blonde sighed. "Aren't you even going to say something?" he gestured to the Karasuno players who were all just getting ready to fall in line in front of their supporters.

Osamu stared at the girl's back for a moment and before he knew it, he's already moving forward.

"Mochi." he called, making Hinata halt and looked back. Behind her, the whole Karasuno team watched like a hawk, but none of them are making a move.

(Yamaguchi turned to Tsukishima. "Why'd he call her mochi?".

The blonde megane just frowned while his eyes are focused on the two. "That shrimp always gets weird nicknames from weird people."

The freckled teen just stared at his friend. _He just called himself weird.)_

When he got in front of her, the wing spiker held his hand to the gingerhead, which she took with a tired smile on her face.

"It was a great match." she spoke first.

"Yeah. One of the best we had." he smiled at her softly. "Let's do this again next time."

"Of course. Let's meet again at the next Inter High."

"We're going to win next time, so you better prepare yourself."

"I'll look forward to that, Osamu-san."

The boy looked like he was about to say something else, but decided against it. He gave her hand one last squeeze before he turned around back to his brother, who is giving him an unimpressed look.

"That's it?"

"What do you mean by 'that's it'?"

"You know what I'm talking about. It will be a long time before we'll see them again, you know."

"I know."

The blonde just sighed, giving up. "Honestly, I found her very attractive." he confessed, immediately gaining the attention of the other twin. He met his brother's eyes with an unusual serious expression on his face as he said his next piece. "So if you're not going to make any move, I might get her first before you do."

Osamu studied his brother's expression, before giving a small smile. "When did you get this kind, Tsumu?"

"I'm always this kind." Atsumu just gave him a smug look. "And besides, you have enough rivals already, so you have more chance if I'm not involved. After all, most of the girls like me better than you. "

"...That last part was not necessary, you shithead."

"...So, what are you planning to do?"

* * *

Just coming out of the restroom, Hinata quickened her pace as the team will be leaving the large gymnasium earlier than usual. Tomorrow's match is with Nekoma, which is one of the matches she's been looking forward to.

A hand touched her shoulder and she quickly spun around, startled at the sudden contact. However, looking at the said person, she blinked her eyes up to him in confusion.

"Osamu-san? I thought you already left." she asked.

"We're about to. But I need to talk to you before I leave."

"Sure. What is it?"

"...Can I get your number?"

The girl blinked her eyes and looked surprised for a moment, but nodded eventually. "Sure."

The two exchanged their numbers and afterwards Osamu just stood there, looking indecisive. Hinata studied his expression with confusion. "Osamu-san? What's the matter?"

The boy looked shy all of a sudden, as he turned his gaze at the side and scratched his cheek distractedly. "Can we talk over there?"

The girl looked at the empty corridor he's pointing at and nodded confusedly. "Oh. Okay."

When they're already alone and the noise of the corridor can only be vaguely heard, Hinata turned to Osamu, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

_This is not what I think it is, right?_

Looking at the boy, she was surprised to see a slight flustered look on his face. "Are you okay, Osamu-san?"

"I think I like you." he dropped the bomb all of a sudden, and she stood there with her jaw dropped as well.

"S-sorry, what?"

"I like you." he repeated, looking her in the eyes with his usual serious expression and tone, despite the faint red color of his cheeks. "That's all I wanted to say."

Hinata's face turned into a new shade of red as she covered her face with her hands. "Umm... what... why..."

"Sorry if I surprised you." the boy sighed. "I don't know when we'll see each other again so I think I need to have this chance. Sorry."

The girl did not answer, but she removed the hands on her face and just stared at him with red cheeks.

"I'm not telling you to answer my feelings or be my girlfriend." he continued. "After all, we just met and we barely knew each other. But I just want you to know how I feel at this moment."

Hinata shifted from her place. "T-thanks I guess... but why me?"

"I don't exactly know either." he confessed, and she looked up to him. "Maybe because you inspired me, or you challenged me. Maybe it's your pretty face and your breathtaking smile, or those intense eyes. I don't know, but seeing you and playing with you make me feel... things."

He patted her on the head. "And I don't hate it."

She continued staring at him, her innocent, brown eyes holding an expression of disbelief. Her face still has its adorable blush, her mouth slightly open, and Osamu has to fight an urge to lean forward.

It took a short moment before she broke from the trance and shifted her gaze away. "S-sorry. I don't know what to say right now... it's the first time someone said those words to me..."

"I understand. " he told her with a small smile. "But I can still keep in touch with you, right?"

"Of course." the girl agreed and though still feeling overwhelmed, she returned his smile with her own.

When they went back to the main hall, Hinata internally gave a big sigh of relief as the tense feeling she's having earlier is slowly dissipating as she heard the chatters from the crowd. She turned to Osamu one last time before they part ways, looking at him with a slightly bashful expression.

"I-I need to go now, Osamu-san."

"Yeah, me too."

"And... thank you for telling me those things. I may not have a response for that but I really appreciate it..."

"Well, I'm not really expecting anything. But who knows, maybe one day you'll have a response." He gave her a handsome smile, which made the girl's face scarlet again.

He playfully pinched her on the cheek one last time before turning around, waving his hand goodbye.

"Bye for now, Mochi."

* * *

"There you are, Hinata!" Yachi run towards the gingerhead upon seeing her figure walking from the direction of the restroom. "We've been waiting for you!"

"Sorry, Yachi-san." the girl smiled at the blonde sheepishly. "The trip to the restroom took longer than expected."

"Your face is red. Are you sick?"

"N-no. Is it really red?"

Yachi furrowed her brows, staring at Hinata suspiciously. "Yes. Did something happen?"

"Nothing! Maybe it's just the heat, hehe."

"...Okay."

* * *

**Extra #1:** **If some of the teams in the Nationals are practicing at the same gym at the same time**

"Shoyou-chan, do you want to try practicing with my sets?" Miya Atsumu asked the female gingerhead, giving her a charming smile. The girl's reaction is instantenous, as she turned to him with a sparkling aura and shining eyes.

"Really? You want me to practice with you?"

"I'm sorry Atsumu-san, but she'll be practicing with me." Kageyama Tobio appeared all of a sudden, scowling at the two.

"Sorry Tobio-kun, but I think Shoyou-chan should be the one to decide if she wants to practice with me or not."

"You're not even on the same team. She should be practicing with me."

"Tsk, tsk, Tobio-kun, you're already practicing with her all the time." the blonde setter smiled at the other boy teasingly. "Or is it that you just want her on your own?"

Beside Hinata, Kenma also frowned at the Inarizaki setter, knowing fully well his intention. Just a few seconds ago, his friend was begging him to give her some sets because her partner (as she complained) is being grumpy as usual. And naturally, Kenma being _Kenma_ immediately declined while trying hard not to look at her puppy eyes. That's when Atsumu piped in, trying to win her company with his smile.

And it irritates him. A lot.

Sighing and making his decision, he turned again to the girl to take back what he said earlier, when he suddenly noticed that she's missing from his side. Turning around, he saw her walking away with Miya Osamu, one of his arms draped across her shoulder. _The nerve of this guy._

"Really? You're going to teach me how to serve?" Hinata asked loudly, gaining the attention of the two arguing setters who looked at the pair with their mouths open.

"I'm not that good when it comes to teaching, but I'll try my best." Osamu responded, wearing his usual nonchalant face. However, when he briefly looked back to his brother and the two setters from the other school, he pull the girl's shoulder closer to his body and gave the others a smug look that clearly indicates ' _back off, you bitches'._

And as expected, the two loud setters exploded, while the pudding head just glared.

"Hey, Samu! You _fucking cheater_!"

"Give me back that idiot! She's my partner!"

* * *

**Extra #2:** **Hoshiumi and Hinata's first meeting**

"What position do you play?"

"I'm middle blocker."

"Tch. Your height?"

"16...5 cm."

"What's your highest reaching point?"

"333 cm."

_I win!_

"Kourai-kun, what are you doing?" a sudden voice interrupted the stare down between the two small giants in the Nationals tournament. A tall guy with dark hair approached them, his eyes focused on the other boy. "The match before us is ending."

"Oh. See you later, Kageyama." Hoshiumi Korai turned to the Karasuno setter, who nodded and gave him a short response. He then turned to the gingerhead, the two having another staring match, before walking away with his teammate.

"...Kourai-kun, what was that?"

"What?"

"I can't believe you're picking a fight with a girl."

"HAH?!" the spiky-haired spiker gave his teammate one of his most shocked faces. "T-that... she's a girl?!"

"... You've gotta' be kidding me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's part two of the Hina X twins. Or shall I say Hina X Osamu?
> 
> As you can see, I leaned more towards Osamu in these chapters since it's what makes sense at the moment. Though Atsumu definitely felt attraction, he's not that 'obsessed' with her as he's still more obsessed with volleyball.
> 
> Plus, sibling rivalry is not good for my heart. That, and Hina-chan has a lot of boys already haha.
> 
> Again, thanks for the wonderful reviews and see you again soon!


	11. Midget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yo, guys.
> 
> The events of this chapter happened before the Nationals tournament, and we have a little guest this time.
> 
> Enjoy reading!

11.

* * *

 

Sunday mornings are often spent for family time, or for extra hours of sleep after a grueling week of school works and exams. However, if you're part of a team who will be joining a nationwide tournament, a Sunday morning can also mean an extra day for practice, whether you like it or not.

While most of the students are having a day off, the Karasuno volleyball club is still holding a half-day practice in preparation for the upcoming Nationals. Inside the gym where the practice is already ongoing, almost all the players are already present. Except for one.

Earlier that morning, Daichi received a message from their female middle blocker that she will be a bit late because of an unforeseen circumstance that happened at home. So since they're still incomplete, some members formed a little group to practice a certain routine while the others performed individual practices, like Kageyama and Yamaguchi with their serves.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the gym's door and Nishinoya being the nearest went to answer it. The libero opened the door to let the person in, but saw no one on his line of sight. A small tug on his shorts made him looked down, and he paused.

Looking up at him curiously with a pair of innocent, wide eyes is a little girl, who looks so familiar. His gaze went back and forth between her big, brown eyes and her locks of orange hair, and his own eyes slowly widened in realization.

He took a step back, mouth gaping open, before he screamed in surprise.

Hearing the libero's shout, everyone present at the gym (the players, managers, Coach Ukai) run towards his direction, and they saw the second year pointing at something outside.

"Nishinoya, what's wrong?" Suga asked, bewildered.

"S-Shouyou..." the short boy stuttered. "Shouyou shrunk!"

All eyes turned towards where he is pointing at, and they all blinked. Standing in front of them is a miniature version of the decoy, wearing a cute, green dress and her hair was tied into two low pigtails.

"I'm not nee-san!" the girl huffed, frowning.

"Nee-san?" Yamaguchi repeated, before they heard another voice.

"Natsu! There you are!" the real Hinata Shouyou came running in, panting. "Why did you suddenly disappear when I went to the restroom?"

"I wanted to see the gym." the little girl answered. Hinata sighed, before noticing the whole team staring at her and Natsu.

"Oh... hi, guys! This is my little sister, Natsu." she introduced, ruffling her sister's bright hair. "Mom needs to go somewhere, so I have to take her with me. It's okay, right?"

"I guess it's fine." Daichi answered, smiling down at Natsu. "She really looks like you."

"So this is what Hinata looks like when she was younger." Sugawara added, giving the girl his angelic smile. "Hello."

"Noya thought you turned into a child." Tanaka laughed while Nishinoya turned to the baldy, glaring.

"Shut up, Ryuu!"

"Waahhh, her dress is so cute!" Yachi exclaimed, staring at the little girl fondly. Natsu smiled at the blonde haired girl shyly, which made the female almost squeal.

"It will be her dress for the party later." Hinata explained.

"Party? You're going somewhere?"

"Yeah, it's in Sendai, a birthday party of one of our relatives. Mom will get us from here after our practice ends this noon. "

"So what are you going to wear?"

"I brought it with me. By the way Shimizu-senpai, I can use the shower room, right?"

"I think it's good to use. Just don't forget to get the key from me."

"Got it."

From behind the upperclassmen, Kageyama was staring intensely at the two siblings and when Natsu looked up in his direction, she suddenly whimpered and hide behind Hinata. The latter followed her sister's gaze and then frowned at the raven-haired setter.

"Oi, Kageyama! Stop scaring my sister!"

"Huh? But I'm only looking at her!" the first year defended himself, frowning. Tsukishima laughed at Kageyama's reaction before giving him a sneer.

"With the kind of face your making, she will be really scared, King."

"What did you say?!"

"She can just stay with Shimizu and Yachi." Coach Ukai said, stepping in between Kageyama and Tsukishima to purposely stop them from fighting. "It will be bad if she got hit by stray balls or something."

"That's totally fine." Hinata agreed before turning to her sister. "Nee-san will just practice volleyball okay? Just stay beside Yachi nee-san and Shimizu nee-san while you're watching."

The little girl nodded while staring star-struck at Kiyoko's beauty. "Pretty nee-san...".

This made the older manager smile, which resulted to Nishinoya and Tanaka almost fainting on the spot.

Practice immediately started afterwards and the little girl as instructed stayed beside the Karasuno managers and just observed. Every once in a while, she will tug at Yachi or Kiyoko's clothes, pointing at someone and mouthing a few questions. Some players on the court, particularly those who are near them, will often hear the managers giggling at the little girl and they will stop to stare in confusion (or in Nishinoya and Tanaka's case, in a dreamy manner).

((Which earned them a shout from Coach Ukai and a ball in a face- _but they don't care because Kiyoko-san's smiling and it's a precious moment omg_ )).

Other than that, practice day went as normal as it can be. Or so they thought.

* * *

Once practice was over, the players all at once started to tidy up the gym and put the volleyball equipment back to the storage room.

"Nee-san!"

Hinata, who is currently having a bickering match with Kageyama while they were bringing down the volleyball net, turned her face to the left to see a small orange and green blur running at her. With her annoyed expression already changed to a surprised one, she opened her arms wide and welcomed the little girl in her arms, making her stumbled and sat on the floor.

"Natsu! What's up?" she asked, almost giggling as the little girl nuzzled her head at her chest, the little curls on her sister's head tickling her neck.

"You were so amazing, nee-san!" Natsu exclaimed. "When Grumpy nii-san put the ball up you jumped so high and then the ball just went boommm and then Daddy nii-san received it but you already put your hands up when Baldy nii-san hit it..."

She stood up imitating some volleyball gestures while talking and Hinata just sat on the floor, staring at her sister fondly and laughing.

"Yeah, I know, I know. Aren't I the best sister?"

"You're the best-est sister ever! Can you teach me those moves when we get home, please?"

"Sure, sure. But you need to do your homework first, okay?"

"Awww. But nee-san, you're not even doing your homework."

"What? Who says I'm not? Come here, you little..." she grabbed Natsu by the waist and started to tickle her, making the small girl giggled endlessly.

It seems that they have forgotten that they're not the only people in the gym because in the background, the rest just stared at the scene in various reactions.

And if only flowers can literary bloom in the background, it could have surrounded all of them. Also, add some sparkles.

Most are just smiling and cooing at the adorable scene (like all the second years, Yachi, Asahi, Kiyoko) and some looked like they were about to cry (Daichi and Sugawara).

Kageyama's face lost its grumpy expression and he, along with Tsukishima, was staring at the siblings with a soft look on their faces. Yamaguchi stared back and forth between the two and sweatdropped.

_They really have it bad._

Someone suddenly cleared their throat and clapped their hands, making everyone broke from their trance. Coach Ukai looked on uncomfortably as everyone stared at him.

"Well... sorry for interrupting but we really need to finish cleaning up." he announced. "And Hinata, you may go on first and prepare. Your mother is coming, right?"

Hearing this, Hinata stopped what she's doing and stood up with her sister.

"Sorry Natsu, but I need to go and prepare now." she started, patting the little girl's head. "I'll be with you in a while, okay?"

Natsu just nodded her head, her attention not on her sister anymore but on someone behind her. Hinata approached Kiyoko and asked for the shower room's key, before she waved her hands to her little sister and went out.

Kiyoko, who's holding a basket of laundry with Yachi, turned to Daichi. "Can we leave Natsu-chan with you guys for a while? We'll just hang this clothes outside and wash the water bottles. We'll take her for lunch with us afterwards."

"Sure." the captain agreed before turning to the little girl and smiling. "Natsu-chan, stay here with us for a while, okay?"

"Okay." the little girl agreed shyly.

At first, Natsu just stayed on the side while watching everyone clean up. However, when everything was done and the players were already sitting or sprawled on the gym's wooden floor to rest, Hinata's tiny little sister approached Tsukishima and Kageyama. The others watched in confusion as the said girl just stared at the two first years who were sitting just near each other.

Blinking his eyes, the megane opened his mouth to speak. "Do you need something?"

It took a few more seconds with the girl still giving them a studious look before she speak up. "Do you both like nee-san?"

"Hah?" Tsukishima responded in shock, his eyes widening. Kageyama choked on the water he's drinking and beside him, Yamaguchi patted his back.

The others looked surprised as well and even the loud-mouthed duo Tanaka and Nishinoya cannot speak.

"You both like nee-san, don't you?"

Tsukishima just stared at the the orange-haired midget with an unreadable expression, before he scoffed and looked away.

"Not happening. What gave you that idea, kid?"

"Y-yeah. Who told you that?" Kageyama sputtered, looking at the girl in disbelief.

"I saw both of you looking at nee-san a lot of times. Mama said that if you like someone, you can't take your eyes off them. "

The blonde started to turn red from his ears. "I was looking at everyone, not only at your sister."

"Hmmm... but you're staring at her longer. Yachi nee-san and Kiyoko nee-san said that you and Grumpy nii-san always do."

"Of course I'll be looking at her! She's my partner!" Kageyama tried to explain (loudly) and the little girl just blinked her eyes at him. Surprisingly, her earlier fear on him seemed to have disappeared since she's no longer flinching at his loud voice.

"Partner? Do you mean you're her boyfriend?"

"I'm not her boyfriend!" the setter's face turned red. "She's only my partner at the court! Nothing else!"

"Kageyama, don't shout at her." Sugawara said to the first year, who immediately closed his mouth and glowered.

Natsu turned her attention to Tsukishima.

"I'm staring at her longer because she's the one making a lot of mistakes." _Why am I explaining myself to a little kid?_ "And I don't like her like what you're saying."

The girl became quiet all of a sudden and when they all stared at her face, they were surprised by the sad look she's having.

"So... you both hate my nee-san?" she asked in a sad tone.

Seeing her expression, everyone suddenly became alarmed. They started to look and nudge at each other in panic, because the last thing they wanted to handle is a crying little girl.

"No, Natsu-chan, that's not what they meant..." Ennoshita turned to Tsukishima, who only gave him a ' _why me'_ look. When the second year returned a threatening stare, the megane flinched a little before sighing.

"Look, I never said that I hate her."

"But you said you don't like her..."

"Yes, but it doesn't mean that I hate her."

"If you don't like someone, it means you hate them, right?"

 _Ugh. It's really hard explaining to a kid._ "What I'm trying to say is I don't like her, but I don't hate her either. It's in between."

"I see. So you don't really like nee-san..." Natsu continued with a very sad face, which made all boys feeling uncomfortable.

 _"Oi, Kageyama, help fix this!"_ Daichi half-whispered to the raven haired boy, who turned to Natsu with an uncomfortable expression.

"I- I don't hate her!" Kageyama suddenly shouted, and everyone looked at him. He turned his gaze to the side and blushed madly. "I actually like her."

At his words, everyone became quiet.

"Oi, oi, oi..." Tanaka broke the silence as he turned to the setter in disbelief. "Is this a confession, Kageyama?"

"I knew it!" Nishinoya exclaimed, standing up and pointing his finger at the setter. "I knew from the start that you're crushing on Shouyou!"

"C-crushing? What?" the first year asked in confusion.

"Isn't that what you mean?"

"N-no! I do not have a crush on that idiot!" he denied despite the steam coming out of his ears and the skeptical look he's receiving. "What I mean to say is I like her as a teammate. That's it. Don't you all feel the same?"

"You don't hate nee-san at all?"

Kageyama gave Nishinoya a meaningful look before he turned to Natsu and speak. "Despite being a dumbass, she's hardworking and not one to easily give up. I like that kind of attitude in a player that's why I like your sister, okay? I don't hate her."

"Oh. Yes I guess, you're right." Nishinoya sat down in realization, giving the others a look. "I like Shouyou too. She's an amazing kohai."

"Yeah, how can you not like that girl? She's one of the best." Tanaka agreed, nudging Kinoshita.

"She's inspiring."

"I like it when she's around."

"Short and energetic."

"Who would hate that girl?"

"Natsu-chan." Sugawara smiled at the little girl. "No one here hates your sister, okay? We all like her as a teammate and as a person. She's an amazing girl, just like you."

"Then... will you take care of my nee-san?" she asked softly. "I love her so much because she always play with me even though she's always tired from playing volleyball. Will you promise me that you won't let her get sick or make her cry? Please, nii-san?"

Seeing the sincere and pleading look on the little girl's eyes, all of the boys were deeply touched, even the stoic Tsukishima. With just a few words, Natsu, just like her sister, has all of them wrapped around her little finger.

"O-of course I'll take care of Shouyou! I'll be the best senpai ever!" Nishinoya responded, sniffling.

"I'll protect her with all my life. I promise!" Tanaka added, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

While the others continued to give her words of assurances, the brown eyed girl just stared at each of their faces in wonderment. Finally, her face broke into a smile. "Okay. Thank you, nii-sans!"

"Natsu-chan!"

From the gym's door, Kiyoko and Yachi stood waiting, gesturing for the little girl to come over. "Come and buy lunch with us!"

"Coming!" the girl bowed her head towards the boys before running towards the direction of the managers. Once they were gone, all the boys sighed in relief.

"Well, that went well in the end." Asahi commented. "I don't want to see a girl crying."

"That's worse than my mom asking for my grade in English." Kageyama muttered under his breath. Tanaka suddenly slapped him on the back in which he almost stumbled.

"Nice cover there, Kageyama! Glad to know that you have more tact than Tsukishima here."

"How is this my fault? I just told her the truth." Tsukishima said in irritation.

"Oi, don't start a fight now. Let's all go home." Daichi said as he stood up. "Remember that you should all take a rest this afternoon and tonight, okay? No more extra practices, especially you, Kageyama."

"Hai."

"Anyway, we'll be having lunch first at the ramen house before we head home. Who wants to come?"

Almost everyone agreed to the captain's invitation, except for Tsukishima who stood up first to say goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Tsukki?"

"No. Akiteru's coming home today, so Mom wants all of us to have lunch together."

"Oh. See you on school tomorrow then." Yamaguchi said understandably, waving his hand at his friend. When the blonde turned away, the dark-haired teen just stared at his back half-worriedly and half-amusedly.

_I wonder what he'll do once he realized it?_

* * *

"Yachi-san? Shimizu-senpai?"

Tsukishima halted upon hearing a certain gingerhead's voice coming from the girl's locker room. The said room was just beside the boy's and curiously, he stared at the door as the girl continued calling.

"Are you guys there?"

"Yachi and Shimizu-senpai went to buy lunch with your sister." the blonde middle blocker said in a loud voice.

"Tsukishima?"

Slowly, the door of the locker room opened slightly, enough for Hinata to peek at him nervously.

"What?"

"I need help." she said bashfully. "You're the only one here at the moment so can you help me?"

He noticed that she's wearing some sort of a white dress, and he raised his brow. "What do you want? I'm in a hurry."

"The zipper's stuck in the back." she responded, and Tsukishima blinked.

"...You want me to zip your dress for you?"

"Yes."

"...Can't you just take it off and wear it again?"

"It's stuck in the middle, so I couldn't do it." the girl said with a red face. "Look, I know this is embarrassing but I really need your help right now. My mom will come at any moment and we don't want to be late...so..."

The blonde continued staring at her face, a bit flustered with the fact that he needs to get inside the girl's locker room just to help the girl dress up. However, looking at the endearing face she's currently wearing, he sighed and stepped forward.

"Fine, let's get this over with."

The girl opened the door to let him come in, closing it again once he got inside. With an embarrassed expression, she turned her back to him and put her long hair out of the way, giving the megane a full view of the problem at hand.

Tsukishima's words got stuck on his throat and he gulped.

With a slightly trembling hands, he reached forward and slowly started to fix the trouble with the zipper. Gradually, he felt his cheeks starting to heat up as his fingers continued to touch the smooth skin of her back. Since she just came from a shower, he can also smell the sweet scent of the shampoo she used, and for a moment, he thought of burying his face into her hair.

_Dear Lord._

It took him almost a minute before he was able to clumsily zip her dress up, and she quickly spun around to give him her thanks. Facing her, he can now see her whole dress and he can't help but stare in awe.

She looks like a fairy straight out of a fairy tale, as far as he can describe. The white sundress she's wearing is an off-shoulder one, with its length reaching down to at least an inch above her knees. Her wet hair was down, soft, orange curls framing the side of her face and wait- is she wearing a lipstick?

"So... do I look okay?" Hinata asked a bit shyly. "My mom bought this dress for me though honestly, I'm not comfortable wearing it. I think this kind of things doesn't suit me at all."

"You're beautiful." Tsukishima commented before he can stop himself, and he felt his cheeks turned red once again. The gingerhead stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, before she suddenly stepped forward and tiptoed to bring her face closer to his.

Startled, Tsukishima tried to step back, heart pounding. "W-what do you think you're doing?" He stared in a speechless and mesmerized manner as she brought her hand on his forehead.

"That's weird, you're not sick."

He blinked. "Hah?"

"Normally, you would say that I look like a monkey or something. I'm not used to compliments suddenly coming from you." she put her hand down and looked at him suspiciously.

"You want me to call you a monkey instead?" he said after a while, brows twitching.

"Don't you dare."

"Then just accept what I said. I won't be repeating it again." The blonde looked away, still flustered.

"Oh." The girl replied after a while, suddenly looking bashful. "If you're really serious, then thanks..."

Tsukishima pinched the bridge of his nose, refusing to look at her cute expression. _I need to get out of here. Now._ "Anyway, aren't you in a hurry?"

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, I need to find Natsu-" the door of the locker room suddenly opened, and Kiyoko, Yachi, and Natsu suddenly came in.

The three newcomers halted upon seeing Hinata and Tsukishima both sporting a blush on their faces while staring at them in surprise. Realizing what the situation might looked like, the boy suddenly felt embarrassed being caught inside the girl's locker room. If his senpais Nishinoya and Tanaka can see him now, he's sure that they won't ever let him live this down.

"Er.. what are you doing here, Tsukishima-kun?" Yachi asked in bewilderment. Beside the blonde girl, Kiyoko is also staring at him in the same manner while Natsu just blinked at him in confusion.

"Don't worry, I asked for his help." Hinata immediately came to his rescue, her blush now gone. "Is my mom already there?"

"Yes, she's waiting outside." Yachi responded, staring at Hinata's appearance and almost squealing. "Hinata, you looked so cute!"

"Thanks."

"I have a white ribbon here. Do you want me to put it in your hair?" Kiyoko asked, also smiling at the girl. The gingerhead gave an enthusiastic nod at this and the managers immediately proceeded with their work.

While they are busy, Tsukishima quietly made his way out of the room without anyone in the girls knowing. Once he got outside and was about to walk away, a tug on his pants made him look down. Ah, so she followed him outside.

"You actually _like_ nee-san, don't you?" the little girl half-whispered, staring up at him.

Tsukishima stared for a moment at the happy expression on the girl's face, before sighing in defeat. He sat down to have his face on her level and patted her orange head.

"Fine. I like her." he admitted, watching as her smile grew wider. "She's my teammate, after all. Though an annoying one."

"Pfft, Nii-san. I get it already." Natsu giggled softly, giving him a knowing look afterwards. "No worries, _it'll_ be our secret. I promise."

Tsukishima just stared at the girl in surprise for a few seconds, before looking away. "Whatever."

_How come this elementary kid is smarter than her highschool sister?_

"Natsu." Hinata suddenly appeared, wearing a new, half-pony hairstyle adorned by a white ribbon. "I thought you disappeared again."

"I'm just talking to Tsuki nii-san. Are we going to mom now?" the little gingerhead asked.

"Yeah, she already texted me. Oh, by the way," she turned to Tsukishima and handed him something. "Here."

The tall blonde just stared at her hand in confusion. "What's that for?"

"I asked Shimizu-san to buy it for me earlier, but I'll be giving it to you as a form of thank you. So here."

"..." The blonde gave her a weird expression first, before he decided to reached forward and take it. Both smiling, the siblings then waved their hands at him in unison, before they turned around to leave. Tsukishima was left staring at the girls' back until they're gone.

_"You actually like nee-san, don't you?"_

He turned his gaze at what the girl gave her, and he slightly frowned. His mind was suddenly running with many thoughts, which in the end, only leads to one.

_I like her._

He sighed and started to walk home, sipping his strawberry milk drink.

_I really like her._

_But there's no way I'll tell her that._

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, well. It's just Tsukki being stubborn and Kageyama being Mr. Denial as always. Nothing new.
> 
> Anyways.
> 
> If we're going to follow the story chronologically, the next chapters should already be about the Nekoma match (spoiler!).
> 
> However, I decided not to write about that match yet because, well, it's too soon? But no worries, I'll be writing about it, but I'll take a rest from the latest manga events for now.
> 
> With that being said, the succeeding chapters will be flashbacks about the things that happened before the Nationals that I was not able to include in the previous chapters (Shiratorizawa, Aone, first years training camp etc.). How many chapters it is? That, I don't know yet.
> 
> P.S: I actually realized that I've been spelling Hinata's first name wrong in some of the previous chapters. It should be 'Shouyou' or 'Shoyo', not 'Shoyou'. My bad, sorry :-P


	12. Amusement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before anything else, I would like to thank those who reviewed last time.
> 
> Hope you'll like this chapter too.

12.

* * *

"What do you mean you're not coming?" Hinata asked in surprise, holding her phone in her right ear.

 _"Sorry, Shou-chan!"_ from the other side, the gingerhead can hear faint sounds of coughing. _"I suddenly woke up not feeling well and my mom won't let me go."_

"What? Why did you suddenly get sick?"

" _I guess it's because of yesterday's rain. I'm really sorry if I couldn't inform you earlier. "_

"Oh. Is that so?" the girl sighed in disappointment. "Then I guess I have no choice but to wander here alone. Too bad I already bought a ticket."

_"I'm really sorry, Shou-chan. I really wanted to come with you, I swear."_

"No, it's okay, just take care of yourself. Hope you'll be okay soon, Izumin."

_"Yeah, I hope. Anyway, I have to take my medicine so I'll be going now. Is that all right?"_

"Okay. Bye."

_"Bye."_

Dropping her phone in her pocket, the girl stared sadly at the amusement park ticket she just bought. "Well, looks like it's just me."

The day was Sunday, and though it rained very hard the day before, this morning started with a promising good weather. After their recent win with Shiratorizawa, Hinata and her middle school friend Izumin decided (or rather, the gingerhead was persuaded) to go to an amusement park located in Sendai for a little celebration and bonding time.

Which apparently is not going to happen now since she's alone.

Hinata sighed. _I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I should eat something first?_

She looked around, trying to find the nearest food stand when all of a sudden, someone collided with her back. When she turned to look up to the person she bumped into, her expression turned surprised upon seeing a very familiar face.

"Gr-Tooru-kun?" she blinked her eyes at the brown haired boy who she hasn't seen since their last match. "What are you doing here?"

The boy's dark eyes just stared at her widely for a few seconds, before his lips turned into a charming smile. "Shou-chan! What a perfect timing! Fancy meeting you here!"

"W-what-" Hinata started to asked in confusion as the said boy draped one of his arms on her shoulder and leaned on her ears to whisper something.

"Help me." he said in an almost pleading voice, and she turned her gaze to the side to give him a questioning look. Oikawa just smiled sheepishly before he continued. "Just go on with the flow, please? I really need your help."

Hinata knows that she might regret this later but remembering how the boy helped her last time, she just nodded her head, still confused. "Okay?"

"Oikawa-san?" a female voice suddenly called, and in unison, Hinata and Oikawa turned around to see three pretty girls staring at the couple in surprise.

"Oh. Hi, girls." the pretty boy waved his hand at them while smiling charmingly. "Is there something you need?"

"Umm.. we're actually wondering if you want to go with us." one of the girls, a dark, short haired one, started to ask shyly. She then turned her gaze to Hinata, particularly on Oikawa's arm still placed on her shoulder. "But it seems like you're already going out with someone...?"

The little gingerhead froze, realizing something.

_Oh._

"Is that so?" Oikawa said in an apologetic tone, all the while pulling Hinata's shoulder closer to his. "I appreciate the invite, but I already have a date. Isn't that right, Shou-chan?"

From the corner of her eyes, she can see him giving her a knowing look, and she started to sweat and panicked internally.

_Wait a minute, I'm not ready for this!_

Feeling four pair of eyes focused on her (with one pair looking at her expectantly and the rest curiously and enviously), she suddenly turned red in the face and in the end, just settled on nodding her head. The girls' faces showed disappointment, making her feeling slightly guilty.

"We understand." the dark-haired one responded, gazing at them sadly. "Have a good time with your date, Oikawa-san. We'll still watch your games." The girls then bowed their heads toward him before leaving completely.

When they were out of sight, Oikawa sighed in relief, removing his arm from her shoulder and gazing at her thankfully.

"That was close. Thanks for helping me, Shou-chan."

"It's good that they accepted it easily. Do you always have this problem with your fangirls?" the gingerhead questioned curiously.

"Only when I'm alone."

"You're actually alone? Don't you have Iwaizumi-san with you?"

"Nope. He's not too fond of going to amusement parks like this, so I have no choice but to go alone."

"Oh."

"How about you? Are you waiting for someone?"

"I was supposed to meet with my middle school friend, but she's suddenly sick. That's why I'm alone now."

"So we're both alone, huh?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...why don't we go together then?" Oikawa suggested, and Hinata turned to him in surprise.

"T-together? Isn't that like a d-da-"

"If you would like to call it a date, sure. I won't mind." the brown haired boy said teasingly, watching in amusement as she turned incredibly flustered.

"Tooru-kun!"

"I'm just kidding with the date part." he laughed heartily, at the same time ruffling her hair like what he usually do. "But I'm serious about going together. I cannot leave you here alone because there are some dangerous guys out there who might go after cute, little girls like you."

"Fine." the girl finally agreed while trying to fix the hair he just messed up. "Where are we going first?"

"Hmmm...I'm actually visiting here because of the new alien-themed attraction. But they said it's closed for the day, so it's up to you."

"Alien-themed? That sounds cool!" Hinata exclaimed, making Oikawa looked at her with surprise. Her mood suddenly changed into an excited one, her usual hyperactiveness already showing.

"You're fond of aliens too?"

"Not that much. But I think it's cool to think that there are other creatures out there from other planets."

"I know right?" the Seijo captain huffed. "Iwa-chan said that I'm too old for this kind of stuff, but I bet he just doesn't know how cool aliens are."

The two proceeded to walk, with the older boy telling the girl some random facts about aliens. The girl responded with loud 'ohhs' and 'reaaallly?' while staring at him in awe, which delighted him because finally, there's someone else who is willing to listen to him. To add to that, he can't help but find her expressions so adorable everytime he said something impressive. And with those sparkling eyes, red cheeks, pigtailed hair and that very cute outfit (a knee length denim skirt accompanied by a red and white striped shirt) he's having a hard time from stopping himself to hug the life out of her.

The next few hours contains events that he can never forget.

* * *

When Oikawa Tooru started this day, he never expected that something extraordinary will happen.

He woke up very early, ate a good breakfast, and contacted Iwaizumi (in which his invite was utterly rejected). He was able to ride on the bus and arrived at the amusement park exactly on time and though he was chased by his fan girls, he considered it still ordinary since it's something he already experienced before.

And then he saw her.

The cute, first year girl from Karasuno (who he admits he has a _little_ crush on, despite the fact that he was almost murdered by a bunch of crows).

Oikawa was really expecting a normal day, but he never expected that he'll be this highly entertained.

The first ride they had is the roller coaster, which is his idea and the girl bravely said she can handle. Which is apparently not the truth, if those girlish screams of her is an indication.

He doesn't know whether he'll laugh or scream along.

Upon getting off the ride, he watched in worry as the gingerhead staggered dizzily away from the ride's gate. Suddenly, she sat down, hands on her mouth, and he's immediately at her side.

"Are you okay, Shou-chan?" he asked, crouching beside her while putting a hand on her back. It took a few moments before she nodded her head and looked up to him with a pale face.

"Let's not ride on those extreme things again." she pleaded, trying hard to held back her vomit. "P-please..."

"S-sure." Oikawa sweatdropped, handling her a bottle of cold water. "Here. Drink some water."

He can't say no to that face.

After the almost-vomitting experience, the two decided not to ride in any of extreme rides anymore, so they moved on to the next one which only involves walking and a piece of a brave heart.

Which is probably not one of the best ideas.

"WAHHHH! TOORU-KUN, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"

The gingerhead screamed while gripping his arm tightly, which he barely felt considering how he's also trembling from fright. The 'ghost' who appeared in front of their faces just earlier suddenly disappeared, leaving them shaking and in the girl's case, whimpering.

Who says it's a good idea to enter a haunted house?

They continued walking in the dark and when they went through a hall of mirrors, the two looked on warily. There was no sound at first, until they heard someone scratching the wall and a soft, creepy laugh.

_What the hell?!_

"Tooru-kun..." If they were on another situation, he could have blushed right there and now with the way the girl is clinging to him. But since he doesn't have the time to think how her body is so close to hugging him, he settled on laughing awkwardly.

"Don't be afraid, Shou-chan." he can hear his own voice wavering. "It's almost over-"

A white lady suddenly appeared and screamed from the mirror just next to them, making Oikawa and Hinata screamed loudly and run as fast as they could. He grabbed her hand and lead the way, feeling like his heart has finally reached his throat.

"What was that?!" the girl cried hysterically.

"I don't know either!" the boy answered back, panting. "Don't worry, we're getting out of here-"

Just when they were about to turn into a corner, a masked man suddenly grabbed one of Hinata's leg, making her shrieked in alarm. She grabbed Oikawa's arm for support and tried to pull her leg back, while the said boy also tried to pull her body back.

"I'M GONNA EAT YOUR SOUL!"

"WAAHHH! PLEASE LET ME GO! DON'T EAT ME, PLEASE! I DON'T TASTE GOOD!"

"Oi! Let go of Shou-chan, you freakin' monster!"

The back and forth tugging continued for a few seconds, before the masked ghost suddenly let go, making the two students stumble. Unknown to them, there was an open door just behind Oikawa, and they both fell inside due to the sudden force.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw is her bright eyes looking up to his. The room was dark, saved for a tiny lamp at the corner, but it was enough for him to see and realize the position they were in.

A blush suddenly rose in his cheeks as he stared down at her, speechless.

He has both of his hands placed on either side of her head as she laid down there, panting. He can hear her heart beating as loudly as his, which is probably caused by the scare they just had earlier, but in his case, he can hear his own starting to beat loudly for a different reason. His eyes went from her pretty eyes down to her lips, and he gulped.

_Don't do it._

_Don't do it or else there's no turning back._

"T-Tooru-kun..." the girl's soft voice cut through his thoughts. "Can you... get off me?"

"Oh. Sorry."

A sudden sneeze made them looked at the side, and they both froze upon seeing an old lady sitting on a chair in the room, wiping her nose.

"Oh, don't mind me." the old lady said, as the two stared in horror at her grotesque appearance. "Just continue what you're doing."

It took a few seconds before both of them scrambled out of their positions to get out of the room, screaming.

They will never set foot on a haunted house again.

* * *

"Let's not go back to that either..." Hinata mumbled.

"Agreed..." Oikawa answered tiredly.

After escaping the terror of the haunted house, the two can be seen sitting outside in a bench, both looking as if their souls left their body.

It's only been three hours since they started getting into the rides and they're already like this. What a day.

When enough moments have passed by to make both of them calm down, Oikawa turned to the girl. "You want to get an ice cream, Shou-chan?" he asked, pointing at an ice cream stand just near them which luckily only has a short line of buyers.

"Sure." the orange-haired girl agreed as they both stood up to fall in line. The older boy insisted on paying for the ice cream, in which she reluctantly agreed.

When he handed her a vanilla flavored one in a cone, she quickly turned around to go back to the bench. However, a tug on her skirt made her paused and looked down, and she was surprised to see a small girl looking at her with tears in her eyes.

"What's the matter?" she immediately asked, sitting down to the girl's level and wiping the tears away with her hands.

"I cannot find my nii-chan." the girl sniffed, her dark gray eyes glassy and her lips trembling.

"You're lost?"

The girl nodded, her gray, ponytailed hair bouncing. Hinata looked on sadly for a moment, before her lips formed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Shoyou nee-san will help you find your brother. What's your name?"

"Sakura..."

"Sakura, huh? What a lovely name! How old are you?"

"Seven..."

"Wow, so you're a big girl already! Sakura, don't cry anymore, okay? I promise I'll help you."

"Okay..."

"Anyway, do you want some ice cream first?" the gingerhead offered her uneaten vanilla cone to the girl, who accepted it while smiling at her shyly. Hinata grinned back and stood up, patting the girl's head.

When she turned her gaze to the left, she saw Oikawa looking at her fondly while handing her another cone of ice cream.

"Thanks."

"I didn't know that you're good in handling children."

"I have a younger sister, you know. She's the same age as Sakura."

"Really? So, does she look like you?"

"The resemblance is uncanny, as they say."

"Oh, I want to see that too." Oikawa smiled. "But anyway Shou-chan, the way you handled the situation is so good. I think you'll be a good mother someday."

Hinata paused and looked up to the brown haired boy with a small blush. "You think so? Thanks, I guess..."

"You're welcome."

"Anyway, I think we should bring her to the lost children section. Do you know where that is?"

"I think it's just near the main office. But it's on the other side, so we're a bit far."

"Oh, so let's start walking then." the middle blocker held her hand to the small girl. "Come on, let's find your nii-chan. Just hold on to my hands tightly, okay?"

"Mmm." Sakura nodded while licking her ice cream.

The two girls chatted along while they were walking and the brown haired boy just watched them from the side fondly. The three started to head towards the main office and from an outsider's perspective, they looked like a family of three. If Oikawa heard someone whispering and commenting about it, he paid no mind.

But it doesn't stop the little color from appearing on his cheeks.

They were just halfway through the destination when the gray haired girl suddenly stopped walking.

Hinata paused, blinking her eyes at the girl. "What's the matter?"

"I'm tired." Sakura said softly. "My feet can't move anymore, they're aching."

Oikawa sighed before smiling down at the girl.

"You want me to carry you?" he offered in a gentle voice while the little girl looked up to him shyly.

"Is it... is it okay?"

"It's okay. Besides, Tooru nii-san is strong so I can definitely carry you on my back. Come on, don't be, shy."

Hinata watched on, smiling, as the little girl allowed Oikawa to carry her piggyback styled. When they resumed walking, she looked up to him from the side and gave him a grin.

"Tooru-kun."

"Hmm?"

"I think you'll be a great father someday." she commented, and Oikawa almost stumbled on his pace at her words.

He gazed at her with wide eyes, before a nervous laugh broke. "Oh, what's this? You're using my own compliment against me." he turned his face to the side so she could not see the red on his face. "You're making me shy all of a sudden, Shou-chan."

"What are you being shy for? It's true." she continued, the smile on her face still in place. "To be honest, I never expected this side of you. In the court, you're very confident and manipulative, which I kinda admire and hate at the same time. But seeing this moment and remembering that time when you saved me, I have to say you're a very good guy who actually cares about people. For me, that's admiring you know."

A long silence followed her statement and Hinata turned to the boy curiously to see him still looking away from her. "Uhm, Tooru-kun? Are you okay?"

_Oh no, did I say something wrong?_

"I'm fine, you did not say anything wrong." as if reading her mind, he finally turned to her, wearing his usual charming smile. "I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Oh, okay..."

There were no more conversations after that as the three, or rather the two, just settled on walking while admiring the view.

In Oikawa's case though, the view he chose to admire is the face of the orange-haired girl beside him. His gaze will soften everytime she smiles and he can feel his own heart fluttering.

He internally sighed.

_I'm screwed._

* * *

"Aone-san?" Hinata said in surprise upon seeing the tall Dateko player standing just in front of the main office. The said player turned to them in surprise, though Hinata can see that his expression is unusually worried.

"What are you-"

"Nii-chan!" Sakura immediately let go of Oikawa's back to run towards the quiet middle blocker. While the two hugged each other tightly, Hinata and Oikawa just blinked in realization.

Ah, so Aone is Sakura's brother.

"Where have you been? You suddenly disappeared." the usually timid Aone asked his sister, his face finally showing relief.

"I went to the restroom and I forgot how to go back. I'm so sorry, nii-chan." Sakura explained sadly.

"Don't do that again."

"Okay..." the little girl suddenly perked up. "By the way nii-chan, Shoyou nee-san and Tooru nii-san helped me to get in here. They're over there."

"Hi, Aone-san." the gingerhead waved her hand at the tall middle blocker as she went closer to the siblings. "Glad to know that we've found your sister. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine." Aone responded shyly before bowing his head. "Thanks for helping my sister."

"No problem." Hinata smiled. Suddenly, she remembered something as she turned to him excitedly. "Anyway, I heard that coach is planning to have a practice match with your team soon. Aren't you excited?"

From the sideline, Oikawa Tooru watched in interest as the Karasuno player interacted with the Dateko middle blocker. And from watching, he realized something.

Based on the reaction of the white-haired giant (who has a small blush on his cheeks while nodding at everything the gingerhead said), he concludes that like him, Aone is also very fond of Hinata.

Actually, he can confidently say that most of the people are actually fond of the girl, even those from the opposing teams. On his team alone, he can often hear Yahaba and Kindaichi commenting how unfair it is that Karasuno has pretty managers and a distractingly cute middle blocker, and it is something that he can't blame them with because that's the charm the girl has. Even he is a victim, in more ways than one.

The brown haired boy decided to move closer to the girl, all the while waving his hand at the Dateko giant in a form of greeting.

"Shou-chan, do you want to have lunch first?" he asked the gingerhead.

"Now that you mention it... yeah, I'm a bit hungry."

"Then let's go to the restaurant I went to during my last visit here. The food there is very delicious."

"Really? Then it's an okay from me." Hinata agreed as she turned her gaze back to Aone. "Aone-san, would you-" she stopped upon seeing the look on the tall player's face.

The white haired Dateko player is staring at Oikawa with a slight frown, making the dark-haired boy blinked his eyes in surprise. To his and Hinata's further bewilderement, the guy raised his hand and pointed his finger at Oikawa's face, just like what he did with Asahi.

 _Yikes._ The Seijo setter thought while trying to maintain a calm face. _I didn't know he'll be reacting like this._

"Umm, Aone-san..." Hinata spoke after a moment, glancing at the two warily. "I know that you want to challenge Aoba Johsai in a match, but maybe you can save that on the court?" When the tall Dateko player turned his gaze at her, she smiled sheepishly. "Why don't we just have fun for today?"

"She's right, nii-chan." Sakura piped in, pouting at her brother. "Besides, Tooru nii-san helped me earlier, so you shouldn't be mad at him."

Aone blinked his eyes at them, before he put down his hand and nodded his head. Oikawa just sweatdropped at the scene.

_It's not a volleyball challenge, Shou-chan._

"Anyway, why don't we all go and have lunch together?" Hinata suggested, which made the siblings agreed instantly and the Seijo captain to almost whine in disagreement.

His alone time with Shou-chan is over.

"And oh, if you want, you can join us while exploring this place after lunch. Is it okay, Tooru-kun?"

"Sure, no problem." Oikawa agreed with a smile on his face though deep inside, he's pouting.

But who is he to complain? It's not like he's her boyfriend or anything. He definitely cannot stop her from wanting to spend time with more people.

And so, the remaining hours of the day was spent with the four of them strolling around and getting on the non-extreme rides. The Seijo and Dateko players looked like bodyguards to the two little girls who are mostly leading the way, and they couldn't find it in their hearts to complain.

Currently, the two girls are walking hand in hand ahead of them, giggling and smiling while talking to each other.

Oikawa moved closer to the boy beside him who's staring at the two with a soft look on his face. "You seemed so protective of Shou-chan." he commented.

Aone suddenly glanced at him with a straight face and Oikawa thought that he would never answer him. It took a few seconds before the giant opened his mouth to speak with his deep voice. "We're friends."

"Oh. Yeah, of course..."

"...Are you two dating?"

Oikawa turned to the boy in surprise, his mouth opening a little. After a while, he let out a short laugh as he turned his gaze back to the orange-haired fondly.

"Hmm. How I wish." he admitted.

The other boy continued staring at him, studying his expression.

"... Don't hurt her."

"Huh?"

"If you two started dating, please don't hurt her." Aone looked him in the eye. "She's an important friend to me."

At the seriousness in his voice, Oikawa turned quiet again as he contemplate the giant's words. It took him a while before he was able to respond.

"You don't need to worry too much, Aone-kun." he said, tone serious. "I'm not that kind of person. And besides, it's not like we'll surely be dating because if she doesn't like me that way, I'm not going to force her. And anyway, I'm not planning to make any move."

"..."

The two continued to stare ahead, remaining silent.

As Oikawa thought about his words, he wonders if he can really hold on to his last sentence.

* * *

"Bye, Aone-san! Sakura-chan! See you again soon!"

"Bye, Shoyou nee-san and Tooru nii-san!" Sakura adorably waved back while holding her brother's hand. Aone did not say anything but just waved his hand back as well, all the while giving a small smile.

When the two are completely out of sight, the gingerhead turned to the brown haired boy beside her. "How about you, Tooru-kun? Are you going to ride the train too?"

"Nope, I'm only taking a bus." Oikawa answered. "But I'll walk you to the train station first."

"You don't really need to, but thanks."

As the two walked to the station together, the brown haired boy watched in amusement as the girl skips while walking.

_How adorable._

"By the way, Tooru-kun," the girl turned to him, smiling. "Thanks for today. I had fun."

"Me too." the boy responded, smiling softly. "Maybe we can do this again next time."

"Sure." Hinata immediately agreed, and for a moment, hope showed on the boy's face.

"Oh, and maybe we can invite the others too. I think it will be fun to hang out with more friends. After all, the more, the merrier, right?" the girl continued happily, oblivious to the way the boy's shoulder sagged.

_Did she just... indirectly friendzoned me?_

"Yeah, that's definitely more fun..." he responded almost dejectedly.

"I think we're here." her statement cut off his trail of thoughts and he immediately stood straight, glancing at the train station already in front of them. "Oh."

"Tooru-kun, here." Oikawa looked down to see the girl handing him something, which he curiously took from her hand. When he looked at the object, his eyes widened.

"I also bought keychains and souvenirs for my teammates, but I bought that one specifically for you." the girl smiled on happily as the boy continued to stare at the bracelet he's holding.

The faux suede band of the bracelet is mint green, like the color of their team, Aoba Johsai, and at the center is a skeleton of a volleyball made in silver. The design is very simple, really, but the thought that Hinata bought it specifically _for him_ made his heart flutter again.

"Do you like it?"

The brown haired boy wore the bracelet on his wrist and then turn his warm gaze at her face. "I love it."

He continued to stare at it even when he was already walking alone towards his home. As he remembered all the events of that day, he can't stop himself from smiling and feeling giddy.

_Honestly, that girl._

_One minute she'll break my heart and the next minute she'll do something amazing._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who miss OiHina?
> 
> Well, this chapter's for you.
> 
> And also that's a little bit of Aone in there, because I miss him too. :-)
> 
> Next chapter will might be about the first year training camp (which of course includes Shiratorizawa, yey!) and the next one will be about the Dateko practice match.
> 
> Just a note, since these chapters are flashbacks and extras, the events will sometimes be in no particular order. But no worries, I'll put a note on when it happened. For example, this particular OiHina chapter actually happened before Chapter 8.
> 
> Also, Christmas is coming and everything's getting busy at home and work, so updates will be a bit late. Still, I'll be trying to update every week as much as I can but if I cannot, please forgive me.
> 
> Anyways, see you again on the next chap!


	13. Ball Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the promised training camp chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Sagae-kun! Are those water bottles empty?"

The said dark-haired boy (who is currently busy wiping the sweat on the gym's wooden floor) turned to the voice in surprise. Upon seeing the face of the one and only Hinata Shouyou, he blushed lightly, feeling shy all of a sudden.

He, like the girl, is currently assisting on the first year's intensive training camp being held in Shiratorizawa that year. When he and his friend Akakura (who is a first year reserved player like him) were told that a girl or more specifically Karasuno's number 10 will be joining them on assisting the other trainees, they couldn't believe their ears. They thought it was a joke at first that one of the main players who defeated their team will not be allowed to play in the games, but when she started doing her role as the ball girl, they asked no more questions.

Realizing that the girl is waiting for his answer, he immediately opened his mouth to speak. "Y-yeah. I was about to fill them in-"

"Let me take care of it!" before he can even let out a word, the gingerhead already got the container full of empty water bottles. "You and Akakura-kun already mopped the floor earlier, so both of you should rest for now."

"It's okay Hinata-chan, we can still do it. You should be the one resting." Akakura said shyly, trying to persuade the girl who only shook her head.

"I still have lots of energy to spare, so this would not be problem." She then gestured to the nearby bench. "I also bought some meat buns for you two and you can eat those if you want. Just take a break and don't tire yourself too much, okay?" She then gave them a bright smile before walking away.

The two first years were left staring at her back, very flustered. It took a while before they're able to speak.

"So... is this what having a manager feels like?" Sagae said before sighing dreamily.

"It is initially us doing that job for Ushijima-san and the others, and it's been a long time since someone took care of me like that on a team. I definitely can get used to this." Akakura added, a smile gracing on his lips.

"Yeah. And she's so sweet and cute! Damn, Karasuno's so lucky to have her on their team! If I have a teammate like that, I wouldn't mind going to practice everyday."

"I know, right? She's an eye-candy."

"Hey, do you think she has a boyfriend? Do you think she'll agree if I-"

"Oi."

A voice from behind them made both first years froze in alarm and slowly, they turned around.

The tall, blonde middle blocker from Karasuno (whose name they heard is Tsukishima Kei and the one who stuffed Ushiwaka in the finals) is looking at them with an annoyed expression on his face, the sharp look on his eyes bringing chills down their spine.

It is definitely clear that he heard what they're talking about.

"First of all, she's a volleyball player, not a manager." he started off with a cold tone.

The two first years gulped.

"And second, she's attending here to improve her volleyball skills, not to date someone. So," he took a step forward, staring down at the two first years who are slightly shorter than him. "If you're planning to ask her out, don't bother. Unless you want to get ravaged by our senpais. I'm just saving your lives."

"Y-yes, sir..."

The megane turned around without another word, leaving the two Shiratorizawa freshmen trembling in fright.

Tsukishima Kei doesn't usually care about other people's business, unless it has something to do with him. This issue wasn't even about him in the first place, but well, he can't stop himself from interfering when he heard what the Shiratorizawa boys are talking about. And remembering the cause of this all, he clicked his tounge in irritation.

_That idiot._

Apparently, his female teammate suddenly appeared on the morning of their first day even though she is uninvited. It surprised not only him but the other first years and coaches as well, and when they all thought that she was about to sent home, they let her stay. And though she was not allowed to participate in any of the exercises, Coach Washijou still allowed her to observe the games in exchange of being the ball girl/manager.

Things were awkward at first since most of the male players doesn't know how or is to shy to talk to the girl because _'hey, it's Karasuno's number 10'_ and _'she's so cute'_ . However, since Hinata is Karasuno's ball of sunshine who can easily start a conversation with anyone, it's not a surprise that in just a few hours, it's like she's already a part of their team.

Which, brought him some problems:

1\. He can't stop the irritation bubbling inside him everytime she interacted with some of the boys who are obviously mesmerized by her. And the idiot is oblivious to it and it's giving him a terrible headache. ( _it's not like he's jealous- no, not at all)_

2\. He was forced (?) to commute with her _everyday_ to and from Shiratorizawa because apparently, they're from the same school and practice are always ending when it's already dark ( _his senpais will kill him if he will let her travel alone_ ).

3\. He's distracted while she's here.

He clicked his tongue again.

_Out of all people, why does it have to be her?_

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Koganegawa called in a loud voice. "This is gonna be over before we know it, so who wants to have a practice with me?"

"Not me." Tsukishima and Kunimi answered in unison while walking away, making Koganegawa stare at them with his mouth open.

"You're asking the wrong guys. I can help you if you want." Kindaichi volunteered, walking towards the tall Dateko setter.

"Me too. Can I practice my jump and blocks?" a first year from another school joined in. Soon, all the players who are interested for an extra hour of practice formed their own group.

"Is this going to be an open practice?" Karasuno's female middle blocker suddenly piped in, eyes filled with excitement. Koganegawa turned to her with a happy face.

"You're going to join us, Hinata-chan?"

"Not really. But I can be the ball girl for you guys if you want." she responded. She suddenly spotted Tsutomu walking away, and she immediately run up to him.

"Tsutomu-san! Aren't you going to practice?"

"Why do I have to-"

"Please show me those awesome straight of yours!" the gingerhead said with sparkling eyes, making the taller first year step back with a surprised expression.

"The blockers can't stop them even if they're looking out for it, you know? It was soooo amazing like whaamm! How can you even do that? You must be a genius or something!" the girl continued on praising while the poor Tsutomu can't help but just blush brightly, feeling so overwhelmed.

_It's... it's been a long time since someone praised me like this! I was surrounded by my cold-hearted senpais for so long that I forgot this feeling of being... made a fuss off! And to top that, it's coming from a cute girl! I hate to admit it but she's so damn...cute!_

"W-would you like to see my crosses too?" he suddenly asked shyly and the girl's eyes brightened more.

"I'd love to see that too!"

Around them, most of the boys watched the scene enviously.

 _W-wow... she really got him to agree. That's amazing._ Kindaichi sweatdropped. _But well, if it's me in his position, I'll say yes too._

 _Unconsciously manipulative, that girl._ Kunimi thought warily. _I better stay away..._

"Oi." Tsukishima approached the girl, his brows twitching. "Are you really going to stay for extra hours of practice? We still have classes tomorrow, just in case you have forgotten."

"I'll just do it for one hour then I'll go home, promise." Hinata responded as she turned to him with her big, puppy eyes. "But if you really need to go home, you can go ahead and I'll understand. I'm really sorry, Tsukishima..."

The blonde just stared at her face with a conflicting look, before he scoffed and turned away. "Fine, I won't be practicing anymore but I'll just watch. I'll only give you one hour, got it?"

"Okay! Thanks, Tsukki!"

"...Please don't call me that."

* * *

It's the third day of the training camp when unexpected visitors came in.

"It's Ushijima-san!" Nagamatsu, a third year middle school student from Kousen Academy, exclaimed with admiration.

"It's really him in person. The real deal..." the freshmen libero from Hakusuikan High added.

"Shiratorizawa's third years agreed to have a practice match with you guys." Coach Saitou announced to the younger players who all just stared at the third years in mixed excitement and wary.

Hinata on the other hand, looked on enviously. _A practice match with Ushiwaka!_

Seeing a mop of orange hair, Tendou perked up and pointed at Hinata excitedly. "A wild, Karasuno number 10 has appeared!"

"Eh!"

"How about we play right now, huh? I know you're a girl and all, but I won't back down!"

Before the gingerhead can respond, Nagamatsu suddenly appeared behind Hinata. "Um, Hinata-chan, can you fill up the water bottles?"

"Oh, sure! Let me take care of it." the girl took the water bottles from the boy, bowed her head to the third years and scurried away. Ushijima and Tendou just gave her a questioning look.

When she came back to resume watching the ongoing match, the red-haired middle blocker approached her curiously.

"So, what's your deal? Aren't you gonna play?"

"... I was not invited to this camp."

"Eh? Then why are you here?"

"I came here on my own. I invited myself."

"W-what?!" Tendou gave her a look of disbelief before laughing very hard. "W-Wakatoshi-kun, did you hear that? Hahaha!"

Hinata's cheeks reddened in embarrassment but she did not say anything. Ushijima just stared at her face.

"... Stop teasing her, Tendou."

The third year middle blocker stopped laughing and just raised his brow at the ace, but did not say anything afterwards. For the next few minutes, the three of them continued on watching the matches, the girl's eyes becoming more calculating and focused as it goes on.

"...That look in her eyes is giving me the creeps." Tendou whispered to Ushijima, who glanced at the girl from the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah. I don't like it."

* * *

"Thank you for the games!"

"Thank you!"

"So we're really going to sleep here starting tonight, huh? I wonder what kind of food we're going to have."

"It's gonna be freezing in the sleeping quarters."

"Seriously?!"

"How about you, Hina-chan? Are you going to stay for the night too?" Sagae asked the decoy, who immediately shook her head.

"Nope, I'm still going home."

"Eh? But we finished practicing later than usual. Isn't it too dangerous for you to go home alone?"

From the side, the other first years stared at the girl in realization. Tsukishima in particular looked on with his brows furrowed. _That's right... I won't be going home with her tonight._

"I'll be fine. Besides, my mom will not like it if I'll sleep on a training camp with no other girls around. It's inappropriate."

"Y-yeah, I guess you're right..." Sagae responded, embarrassed. "But still..."

"Don't worry, Sagae-kun! I'll be careful, okay? I'll be back again tomorrow." she gave him a bright smile which made the other boy blushing.

Coach Washijou just stared at the girl with a slight frown on his face, but he did not say anything. From the gym's door, Tendou turned to Ushijima, whispering.

"We have a girl's dormitory, don't we? I'm sure coach can ask someone to lend her a room since it's not full unlike the boys' quarters. Is he really going to let her go home alone at this time of night?"

"..."

"Anyways, I need to get going. Akakura-kun, please wear your jacket or you'll catch a cold."

"Yes, ma'm."

Hinata said goodbye to the other players, before finally turning to the coaches and bowing her head. "Thanks for today."

"Wait." Tsukishima called before she can even move towards the door. She turned to him confusedly as he stood in front of her.

"Make sure you head straight home and that you will avoid talking to suspicious people. Also, stay away from those dark streets and _don't you dare_ stop by that park again to look at the kittens like what you've been doing this whole week, got it?"

The tiny middle blocker just blinked his eyes at him in slight surprise before she nodded her head. "S-sure. But honestly, you don't really need to tell me that because I already know. You're starting to sound like my mom."

"I'm just telling you to be careful. You're a natural trouble magnet and with the kind of head that you have, you would likely get yourself kidnapped."

"Wha- that's so mean! You don't have to say those words if you're worried, geez!"

"Who says I'm worried, shrimp?"

"I know you are. You're just shy to admit it, _Tsukki._ "

"I told you not to call me that."

"Then don't call me shrimp."

"Ahem."

Both Karasuno players stopped bickering upon hearing Coach Saitou's interruption, and they both turned red upon realizing that everyone was actually staring at them.

 _They're arguing like a real couple._ Tendou thought in amusement, watching their faces.

"Umm, sorry to interrupt but we'll be having a quick meeting." the coach announced.

Still wearing a red face, the gingerhead bowed her head towards the group for the last time before disappearing behind the gym's door.

"...Okay, so let's start." the glasses-wearing coach continued after a while as he turned to Coach Washijou. "Coach, if you will."

"We'll be discussing your training exercise for tomorrow." the old coach started. "But before that..."

* * *

"Wait up, chibi-chan!"

Hinata jolted in surprise upon hearing a familiar voice calling her name. She quicklly spun her head around to see Ushijima and Tendou heading towards her direction.

"Um... is there something you need?"

"We'll be walking you home."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"What Wakatoshi meant is that we'll walk you to the bus station." the guess monster elaborated. "Coach Washijou also told us to do it, so we're here."

"Eh? He did?" the gingerhead said, dumbfounded. She remembered how the coach used to ignore her existence despite the fact that he's letting her stay.

"He might look very scary, but that old man actually cares." Tendou went to her side as the three started walking. "Actually, the four-eyed teammate of yours volunteered for it, but they're on a meeting right now so he can't do it. And then Wakatoshi-kun here said that he'll do it, so I decided to come with him and here we are."

Hinata stared in surprise at the Shiratorizawa ace, who is wearing a nonchalant expression as always.

"T-thanks for that. And I'm sorry for bothering you both."

"No problem, chibi-chan."

"How about you guys? Are you on your way home too?"

"No. We're sleeping in the boy's dormitory." Ushijima answered, speaking at last.

"You have a dormitory?! Wow, that's Shiratorizawa for you." the girl exclaimed in awe. "How I wish we have that in Karasuno too..."

"Then you should have come to Shiratorizawa." the middle blocker joked, unknowingly quoting Ushijima's famous line for Oikawa.

"What? No way, I love being in Karasuno." the gingerhead immediately said, before suddenly turning red. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean to sound offensive but I really want to stay in Karasuno with my current teammates. And then we'll defeat your team again next year."

"You better say that to Tsutomu because we won't be here anymore next year." Tendou said amusedly, not even a bit offended.

"Yeah, that's right..." she then smiled sheepishly. "And besides, I heard that Shiratorizawa's entrance exam is so hard, so I'm not sure if I'm going to make it even if I tried."

"So you're stupid then."

"Yea-H-hey!" she exclaimed in an offended manner, and the red-haired guy just laughed even more.

Watching as the two started bickering back and forth, Ushijima just sighed, but remained unbothered.

As long as they won't start killing each other, he will not interfere.

* * *

_She's staring at me._

Kunimi tried to ignore the look the gingerhead is giving him, but he's having a hard time doing so due to the intensity of her stare.

Actually, she's been doing that to every player in the room and Ushiwaka has been her favorite to watch so far, but today, it seems like he's her target. For people like him who's not fond of getting too much attention, it really bothers him. And also, it makes him feeling a little bit conscious.

It's a known fact among the players that one of the highlights of the training camp is the appearance of the one and only Hinata Shouyou.

Though unlike most of the boys, he's not bothering to start a conversation and the only word he said to her so far is 'thanks' whenever she's giving him a water bottle or a towel. Other than that, he's mostly just observing and based on what he's seen so far, he now understood how she managed to have Kageyama wrapped around her little fingers.

She's a natural charmer.

Just a few words or praise from her can make most of the boys feel giddy and even the stoic ones are not safe. Koganegawa and Kindaichi likes to be around her, and he noticed that Goshiki is always trying to impress her.

_("That was an amazing spike, Goshiki-san!"_

_"O-of course! I'll be the next ace in the team so I'm naturally amazing!"_

_"Really? I'm aiming to be the ace too! I'll be working hard as well!"_

_"Well if you need any advice, just go to me. After all, I'll be surpassing Ushijima-san."_

_"Whooah!" )_

He was also sure that her tall, blonde teammate _might_ have a little crush on her. He is being so overprotective, though he's hiding it with his teasing and snarky remarks.

And now, he and the others watched as she tried to encourage (or as she said, lecture) the giant Hyakuzawa by mouthing praises to him. When the giant asked why she's doing this, her words brought chills down Kunimi's spine, and he saw the others having the same reaction.

"It's actually simple. I want to play and defeat you again."

That's why he doesn't know what to do when she suddenly approached him the next day during one of the breaks.

He waited warily as she gazed at him with wide curious eyes before she decided to speak.

"Kunimi-san, what comes through your mind when you're doing a receive?"

"Huh?" he responded in surprise, not expecting that she's going to ask him. _That's the same question she asked Ushiwaka earlier._

He just stared at her with a frown on his face before sighing.

"Nothing much. I'm just thinking that _'if I messed up here, our team will lose a point'_." he answered.

"I see..." the girl said with a thoughtful look.

"... Why are you even asking me this?"

"Oh! Sorry, I just noticed that your receive is very similar to Ushiwaka's."

He blinked his eyes. "Huh?" _She noticed that? Though I never knew..._

Hinata nodded her head and tried to immitate the receive with her arms. "Yeah, it's like this. It's very efficient and there are no wasted movements..."

"Okay..."

"I'll be learning how to do it too! Just watch me, I'll even surpass your technique!"

 _What technique is she talking about?_ "...Whatever."

Someone called Hinata's name from the court, and before going over there, she turned to him one last time and smiled brightly. He paused from his drink.

"Thanks, Kunimi-san! You're really a talented player."

 _Ah, so this what it feels when you're in the receiving end of that smile._ He said to himself as he watched her back thoughtfully.

_It's not that bad._

* * *

"Hinata."

The said girl spun her head towards the direction of the voice and saw Kindaichi approaching her.

"Yes?"

"..." The said boy just continued staring at her with a conflicting expression on his face.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Hey, what is it?"

"... Is Kageyama doing fine?"

"Yeah, he is. Outside of tests, at least."

"Oh..."

"Why are you asking."

"... Because his style of game suddenly changed you know... I just want to know-"

"Ugh. Are you still clinging to that stuff back in middle school?" Kunimi suddenly piped in while frowning at his friend. "You already did your best."

"W-what? No, I'm just making some small talk..."

"Ah. Are you talking about how no one can hit his sets before?" Hinata asked in realization, and the two Seijo first years turned to her. "I think getting into fights with a teammate or friend is normal."

"Fights?" Kindaichi asked in confusion. He slightly blushed when the girl suddenly went closer to him, staring directly at his eyes.

"When you both can't agree on something, it's only a normal thing to fight." she said to him. "That's why Kageyama is just doing fine."

"Whatever, who cares about Kageyama anyway." Kunimi came up to them to turn Kindaichi around and push him forward. He looked at her face and stuck his tounge out teasingly. "And next time we play, we'll crush your team."

"Huh? No way! We're going to win!" the girl said indignantly, and the boy laughed softly at her cute expression.

"Um... and Hinata." Kindaichi said again, a bit shyly. "We- we'll see you later."

"Later."

"Hinata-chan!" Koganegawa suddenly appeared in between them, holding his phone. "Can I have your number?"

The girl just nodded her head. "Sure."

From the side, some of the first year players who are not yet leaving stared at the tall boy in awe and surprise. Even Kunimi and Kindaichi stopped walking.

_"Wow, he really asked her!"_

_"I'll ask her too!"_

* * *

Soon enough, it's time to go home and Hinata, who is walking beside Tsukishima, stared at her phone happily.

"Wow, I gained so many contacts today!"

"Yeah, right. You just gave your number to anyone who asked." Tsukishima commented.

"It's okay, they've all become my friends after all."

"Tch."

"...What's with that face? Don't tell me you're jealous, Tsukki."

"Hah? Why would I be?" the megane denied, his brows twitching. "And I've been telling you a lot of times. Don't call me that."

"Fine. I'm so sorry, _Kei_." she said in a sweet tone, all the while giving him a mischievous look.

And then before her eyes, a thing she thought was impossible has suddenly happened.

Upon hearing her words, Tsukishima stopped walking and turned to her with his mouth open. For the very first time, he was not able to think of the word to retaliate and instead, he just stared at her with a very red face.

"W-what did you just call me?" he responded after a while, still shocked.

"Eh?" Hinata was completely surprised by his reaction, but seeing how the boy reacted, she still can't help but smile teasingly. "Oh, is Saltyshima feeling shy whenever someone's calling him by his first name?"

"You..." Tsukishima tried to have the heat on his face simmer down a bit. "Don't... don't ever call my name with that kind of tone again. It's disturbing."

"What?!"

"It doesn't suit you. It's annoying. It makes you totally uncute."

She puffed her cheeks in indignation and gave him an irritated look. "Who are you to call someone uncute? As if you're cute!"

"For your information, many girls from our school beg to differ."

"For your information, some boys are also calling me cute!"

"Oh?" A tick mark appeared on Tsukishima's forehead. "As if I care. Then go talk to them if you want. Don't bother me."

"Fine!" the gingerhead said loudly as she hastened her pace to walk ahead of him. Tsukishima watched her crossing the street, and he frowned.

"Oi. Slow down, you idiot."

The gingerhead turn her head to stare at back at him. "Hah? I thought you said that I should not talk to you. Why should I-"

A loud beep and a sudden ray of light caught her attention and for a moment, she was frozen. A sudden shout of her name woke her up from her stupor, and she immediately stepped back to avoid the speeding car. Falling down on her bottom, she watched in a mute shock as the said car just sped away as if nothing has happened.

"Are you okay?!" Tsukishima was suddenly crouching beside her, checking her out.

"Y-yeah-" she felt a sudden pain on her hands and upon looking at her palms, they were bleeding. Since she used them as a support when she fell, both have grazes due to the impact. A sudden pool of tears prickled from her eyes and the boy suddenly looked at her in alarm and concern.

"You idiot... stop crying." He helped her stood up and guided her as they both sat on the side of the road. "Is your leg hurting?"

"No." the girl shook her head and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but the blonde suddenly held her hands. Hinata watched as the said boy carefully put bandages on her wounded palms (luckily, he had some on his bag).

"Seriously, be careful next time will you? Who in their right mind will suddenly cross the street without looking?" Tsukishima reprimanded as he finished wrapping it up. The girl quickly wiped her tears.

"I'm sorry, Tsukishima."

He watched her apologetic expression for a moment and then he sighed. His expression softens. "Just please don't run away from me again."

They resumed walking home and watching her from the side carefully, Tsukishima tried to calm his heart that was beating so fast just earlier.

_Seriously. She's going to be the death of me._

* * *

**Extra:**

"Are you sure you don't want to ask for Ushijima-san's advice? You'll never know when he'll visit again." Shirabu turned to Goshiki after watching the Karasuno girl approached their ace.

"What? Me, going to ask for a rival's advice? I would never-" Goshiki stopped speaking upon seeing the second year setter's expression.

 _Geez. If only looks could kill..._ Semi thought warily.

"Well, when it comes to taking an initiative, you're definitely lagging behind your crush." Shirabu continued.

The first year jolted upon hearing those words, and a sudden realization came to him. _He's right. I need to learn things from Ushijima-san. I'm really falling behind-_

He stopped and suddenly turned red. With an unbelievable expression, he stared at his senpai. "C-crush?"

"Do you think I wouldn't notice? You're trying to impress her all day." Shirabu deadpanned. Beside him, Taichi cursed.

"Damnit, Shirabu! I thought we're going to pretend we didn't see that!"

"Huh? When did we talked about that?"

"You-you're wrong!" Goshiki denied, flustered. "I'm not... I don't... Ushijima-san!" he suddenly turned away from them and run towards the third years.

"...Now you've done it, Shirabu. I bet he didn't even know he has a crush."

"...Let him be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the chapter (*sigh in relief).
> 
> I kinda need to squeeze the entire training camp arc into just one chapter, so it's a bit hard and some events might have been shuffled a bit. But anyways, I'm so glad that I managed to complete this chapter despite the busy things happening in my life now (Christmas parties, work, work, work) and I'm so happy for the reviews and kudos this story has received last time. Really guys, thank you so much.
> 
> See you on the next chap! Sayonara! And advanced Happy Holidays!
> 
> P.S. That thing with Goshiki just crossed my mind, but it's not a major pairing. Just a tiny, little crush, nothing more. :-D


	14. Extra Chapter 1: Christmas Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!
> 
> So this is part 1 of my special holiday chapter for this fic. Based on the title, you should already know what this is about and I have to warn you that some scenes can be too fluffy for your taste.
> 
> Also, please note that these scenes are just 'what-ifs' and it did not really happen in the current storyline (but if you would like to imagine that it did happen or will happen, then it's fine :-)). We have one scene for each ship, and here are the first three.
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you'll enjoy this one. And thanks for the wonderful reviews again!

* * *

**1.**

* * *

Mrs. Kozume blinked her eyes in surprise and confusion as she stared at their visitor.

When Kenma told her that a friend will be visiting them that afternoon, she initially thought that it will be Tetsu or his schoolmates from Nekoma. However, she never thought that their visitor, and apparently her son's friend, is going to be a pretty, little, highschool girl.

The said girl is currently wearing a very cute, red winter dress partnered with black stockings, and her long orange hair is currently tied into a half-pony. She's also staring back at her with her adorable, big, brown eyes and when the girl realized that she was staring too long, she immediately bowed her head.

"G-good afternoon, Mrs. Kozume! My name is Hinata Shouyou and I'm a friend of Kenma. Is he here?" the gingerhead introduced herself, ending the older woman's confusion.

"Oh, so you're the friend my son was talking about? My, what a cute girl you are!" A smile appeared on her lips. "I'll be calling him, okay? Come in first."

After closing the door and ushering the girl to sit on the sofa, the woman went up the stairs to her son's room and knocked on his door. "Kenma! Your friend is here!"

The door immediately opened, revealing Kenma with a surprised look on his face. "She's here already? I'm not prepared yet."

"You better hurry." his mom told him, before a sharp look appeared on her eyes. "Anyway, why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend." the pudding head muttered, face red. His mom just gave him a suspicious look, and he sighed.

When he finally went down from his room, he saw the girl talking enthusiastically with his mom. "Shouyou."

The gingerhead immediately spun around at the sound of his voice, and she flashed him a very bright smile. His cheeks automatically turned red upon seeing her smile and overall look.

_Why is she so pretty?_

From the side, he can feel his mom giving him a knowing look, which he tried to ignore completely.

"Hi, Kenma!" Hinata greeted back. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's go." he nodded as he immediately turned towards the door with the girl and his mom following him. He's not liking the look the older woman is having, so they need to get out now.

"You can visit us again, Shouyou-chan." Mrs. Kozume said, smiling at the girl.

"Thanks, Mrs. Kozume! I will!"

"And Kenma, dear," she turned to her son and whispered to his ears. "I like her. Goodluck on your date."

"Mom!" the Nekoma setter protested, making the woman laughed. Hinata looked at them with confusion in her eyes, and he almost pushed her out of the door as they were leaving.

When they're already walking down the street going to the train station, Kenma sighed in relief. On the other hand, Hinata started to babble excitedly.

"I'm so thankful that you agreed to come with me, Kenma! I don't know Tokyo at all, so it would be bad if I get lost or something. It's lucky that our relative's house is just a few street away from yours."

"Are you going to be here until Christmas?"

"Yes, until the afternoon at least." the girl answered. "But it will be busy that day so I decided to go to Shibuya today. Anyway, do you think I'll be able to buy that game?"

Before she came here, the two were already talking about buying the new game _Adventure Quest_ , which has been the hot topic on the internet currently. Hinata is not an avid gamer like Kenma, but she likes to play video games once in a while at home, so the new game caught her attention.

The pudding head hummed before answering. "...Honestly, it will be hard to find a copy since it'll probably be sold out already."

(Actually, he already bought the game online and he's planning to finish the game tonight.)

"Really? Well, that will be bad. But I'll keep my hopes up!" the girl replied positively, and the boy just smiled from her side.

However, when they came to the store, her hopes were crushed and what Kenma said apparently came true. There were no more copies of the game and the re-stock will not happen until next week.

Seeing the sad look on the girl's face, the setter told Hinata that he will lend her the game once he finished it. Though still feeling dissappointed, the girl thanked him with a smile, and her mood is up once again.

While they were walking and exploring the city, Kenma suddenly stopped upon seeing the arcade games. The sound of the games' music immediately caught his attention, and he watched, interested, how the other players played the games.

"Do you want to play?" Hinata asked, noticing the look on the boy's face. The boy nodded his head, and that's when they found themselves spending the rest of the afternoon playing on the arcade instead.

At first, the two were playing a martial arts game in a versus mode, and as expected, the girl is losing. Giving up, the girl decided to just play with the other games inside the mall, and Kenma was left alone with his joystick control.

When he got tired of the game just moments later, he found her in front of a crane machine, frowning.

"Shouyou. What's wrong?" Kenma asked confusedly. Hinata turned to him with a cute pout on her face.

"Kenma... I can't get anything." she protested, and he watched as she unsuccessfully tried to get a stuffed toy from inside the glass. "I'm starting to think this machine is rigged."

"Let me." the boy volunteered, unable to stand seeing her sad expression.

With pure concentration, he put his hand on the control and the crane started to move. When he was sure of the distance and the angle, he pressed the button, and the stuff toy got caught.

Hinata watched in awe as the toy fell down to the slot, which Kenma immediately handed to her. Stars suddenly appeared on her eyes as she looked at him in pure admiration. "You're really amazing, Kenma!"

The blonde turned red at her praise, all the while feeling pleased. "It's not that hard..."

"Can you do it again, please?"

And that's the reason why the girl is carrying two bags filled with stuffed toys while they were walking home that night. It seems like Hinata has already forgotten about the game, as she is busy humming happily while walking.

"I'm really glad you came with me, Kenma. You're so fun to be with!"

"... really? I don't think I'm fun to be with."

"No, you are! And you got me these cute stuffed toys! I'm sure Natsu will be happy once I shared it with her. How can I ever thank you? Ah!"

Kenma sighed. "Shouyou, you don't need to-"

_Smooch._

Both Kenma and Hinata's eyes widened and their bodies frozen, as they stood there with their lips suddenly pressed together.

When Kenma turned his head to the side to stare at the girl, he never expected that his mouth will meet hers. And from her reaction, it seems like she's not expecting it as well.

A few moments passed by with neither of them moving, before the girl finally pulled back with a very red face.

"K-Kenma, I-I'm so sorry!" stuttering, she covered her face with her hands. "I-I was only trying to kiss your cheek as a thank you, b-but you suddenly turned your face and... OH MY GOSH, I'M REALLY SORRY!"

"..." The boy remained speechless and it looks like he's about to pass out due to the heat on his face.

He just kissed her.

He just kissed Shouyou.

It felt like a dream come true.

Watching as the girl continued to stammer while covering her face, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"It's okay, Shouyou." he started, a faint blush still on his cheeks. "I-It's an accident. Let's just go home."

It took a few more moments before the girl was able to calm down, but thankfully, she did.

The rest of the journey was spent with silence as neither of them tried to speak with each other. Hinata stared subtly at Kenma's face and saw him wearing what seems to be a troubled look. Feeling guilty, she turned her gaze to the ground. _This is awkward..._

When they were finally on the street going to her relative's house, the gingerhead turned her apologetic gaze to the quiet boy.

"I'm really sorry, Kenma. Please don't be mad."

"...I'm not mad."

At his short response, the girl just sighed before smiling softly. "Thanks for everything today, Kenma. Bye."

Wearing a conflicting look, the boy just waved his hand at her. Hinata waved her hand back and started to turn around.

She has only taken a few steps away when a sudden grip on her wrist made her turn around, and suddenly, Kenma's face came close to hers. Eyes wide, she felt him kissing her at the corner of her mouth, before letting her go.

"... You do not need to apologize, Shouyou." he said, refusing to look at her eyes. "Bye."

He quickly turned around without even letting her speak, leaving her staring at his back, speechless.

Hinata put her hand on her mouth, to the area he just kissed, and she heard a loud thump on her chest.

_What?_

Later that night, she received a message from Kenma. After reading his message, she buried her red face to her pillow and screamed silently.

_I like you, Shouyou. Merry Christmas and see you soon._

* * *

**2.**

* * *

Tsukishima Kei is not a big eater.

As a matter of fact, he's being scolded a lot by his mother and his senpais whenever his plate remains full. He can barely finish a full plate of meal, unless he's really hungry or the food being served is his favorite one. And when it comes to his favorite food, he rarely shares or more specifically, he never shared.

Which is related to the current problem at hand.

The blonde's eyebrow twitched as he stared inside their fridge, and he can feel a wave of irritation bubbling inside him.

His strawberry shortcake is missing.

It is the last slice of bestseller cake he bought yesterday and unfortunately, the one which he hasn't tasted yet. He left it on the fridge last night and it was still there in the morning last time he checked, however, after he came back from the market (as ordered by his mother), it was gone.

Speaking of his mother, the brown-haired woman entered the kitchen and immediately saw her tall son scowling. "Oh, Kei. You're back."

"Mom." the younger Tsukishima said as he closed the door of the fridge. "Where's my cake?"

"Cake? Oh! You mean the strawberry one?"

"Yes."

"I gave it to your schoolmate." his mother responded with a knowing smile, and Tsukishima stilled. "She said that she's here because you agreed to help her study. I didn't know that you have a cute girl _friend_ , Kei."

He paused for a moment, trying to process his mother's words.

Ah. That's right.

He can't believe how he has forgotten that _she's_ coming today.

"...when did she come here?"

"Just a few minutes ago. What an adorable girl."

"... I'm gonna go and save the cake."

"Eh? That's your concern? Wait, Kei!"

The tall blonde immediately turned around to walk up the stairs towards his room, face in a hurry. Because crush or not, that's still his cake.

However, opening the door to his room, any hope of salvation was gone as he stared at the almost empty plate in front of Hinata Shouyou.

The girl was about to eat the last bite of the cake when the door suddenly opened, and in came her tutor wearing an indescribable expression on his face.

"...Oh. You're finally here." Hinata said, blinking her eyes at him. The blonde's face suddenly turned into a scowl as he stared at her.

"That's mine." Tsukishima almost whined, making the girl raised her brow. She watched as he moved forward and sat across her, still frowning as he stared at the almost empty plate.

_Ah._

"Did you go here just to eat my food? I know it's almost Christmas, but I'm not fond of giving free cakes."

"Huh? I just ate what your mom gave me. I didn't know it was yours."

"Tch."

"Seriously? Is Tsukki mad just because I ate his cake?" Hinata said, amused, and the blonde almost glared. "Fine, fine. You can have the last bite if you want." she got the last piece of the icy cake using a fork and offered it to his face. "Say 'ah'..."

The blonde just stared at her face with a very blank expression, and she almost giggled.

"What's wrong, Tsukki?" she teased as she waved the fork in front of him. "Just say 'ah'..."

"You..." the boy started off with a faint blush on his cheeks. "Do you realize what you are doing?"

"Just say if you want it or not." she responded, still holding the fork. It took a few moments before the blonde finally leaned forward to take a bite.

However, before it can even reach his mouth, the girl suddenly shoved the last piece of cake to her own mouth instead. Tsukishima was left staring at her unbelievably with his mouth hanging open.

"I'm just kidding. This is still mine." the girl said mischievously while her mouth is full, some strawberry icing covering her lips.

The blonde closed his mouth and suddenly turned very quiet. Watching as the girl happily munched on his precious cake, a sudden shadow loomed behind his glasses.

_She'll pay._

She smiled at him through her eyes, her bright, brown eyes playful.

_She'll really pay._

"Sorry, Tsuki-" the girl's words were left hanging open as the tall boy suddenly leaned forward across the table to capture her lips with his.

Her breath hitched.

_W-what?_

His lips are so soft as he continued to kiss her, and her mind immediately turned blank.

It actually only lasted for three seconds, and the boy finally leaned back and sat down wordlessly as if nothing has happened. She watched with a dumbfounded expression as he licked his lips as if tasting something.

"Hmmm... that's sweet." he commented, staring at her with a smirk on his face. "Thanks for the icing."

Heat suddenly burst on her face and she started coughing and choking (she hasn't swallowed everything yet).

"What's wrong, shrimp? Do you need some water?" the boy asked her, amused. "I'm going to get some for you."

He stood up going to the kitchen with a grin on his face, which widened even more when he heard her shouting from his room.

"TSUKKI!"

* * *

**3.**

* * *

Hinata shivered with the cold as she sat alone on a bench, waiting.

It's been thirty minutes since she came here and the more she waited, the more anxious she gets. Anxiety is not new to her as she's been experiencing it a lot before a volleyball match begins, but well, she's having a different situation now.

She felt a sudden buzz from her pocket, and she immediately got her phone out to see who messaged.

_I'm already here. Where are you?_

With trembling fingers (due to the cold and nervousness) she typed in her location.

_I'm sitting on a bench under a very large tree. You'll be able to see it, it's the largest tree here in the park._

She pressed send and it took only a few seconds before a response came.

_Okay. See you._

After reading the last message, she put her phone back in her pocket and sighed in deep nervousness. Slowly, her face turned red as she remembered her purpose of being here.

_This is it. I'm really going to do it._

It was almost a year ago when she first met Miya Osamu at the Spring Nationals Tournament. Ever since then, they've become very good friends, as they were messaging each other every week and almost every day.

At first they were just a normal, texting buddies, talking about volleyball, school, his brother, and anything and everything under the sun. But sometimes, they will be talking about something much deeper, and words of advice and encouragement were shared not only through texts, but through phone calls as well.

She remembered that he's the one who called her first when she mentioned in her message one time that she's on the verge of crying because her pet died. She was deeply touched with his concern, and she cannot forget how that soothing voice of his managed to calm her heart down.

And that call started everything and soon afterwards, he will be calling at least twice a week just to check on her. Slowly, Hinata realized that she like hearing his voice and that she wish he's in front of her instead.

And also slowly, she realized that maybe, she's falling.

Luckily, no one from her team knew about it, except for Yachi. Now that Kiyoko has already graduated, the blonde girl is the only one who she can confide her secrets to. Actually, she's the one who encouraged her to confess, which is an unusual advice from the timid, nervous girl.

_"Y-you need to tell him, Hinata!"_

She has her hesitations, of course. Because despite the fact that he confessed to her once right after their match, he never mentioned it again. What if he's not feeling the same anymore? But then, she will not know unless she try, right?

A sudden pinch on her cheek jolted her from her thoughts, and she quickly whipped her head to the side. Osamu is already standing beside her, expression as nonchalant as always, but there's a hint of amusement on his eyes.

"You're spacing out, Mochi." he greeted.

Hinata's surprised face immediately turned into a happy one, and she smiled at him shyly. "Hi."

They continued smiling at each other, before the boy finally sat down beside her. Realizing that _omg, he's finally here_ , Hinata took a deep breath due to nervousness. Unfortunately, he immediately noticed.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

"...are you sure? You seemed to be out of it this passed few days." the boy mentioned with concerned tone. He remembered how the girl sounded nervous whenever he's calling her and how late she was when responding to his texts.

"I-I'm sure. It's just that, I've been doing a lot of thinking this past few days." the girl answered. "By the way, thank you for visiting me here in Miyagi, though you don't really need to..."

"It's okay. We'll be spending our Christmas here anyway since we need to visit one of our relatives. And besides, I wanted to see you."

She felt her heart gave a loud thump and after a moment of hesitation, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Umm... I actually wanted to tell you something, Osamu-san." Hinata started nervously, face red. She can feel Osamu staring at her face from the side, but she's unable to look up to meet his eyes.

_W-why is this so hard?_

"What is it?" the boy's low but soft voice reached her ears, and she started to twiddle her fingers in nervousness.

"A-actually..." she swallowed. "I... I just wanted to tell you how glad I am that we've met. Y-you're one of the most amazing, talented, kind and understanding person I know, and I'm so happy that we've become very good friends. A-after all these months I've realized that you've become one of the most important person to me, and..." she turned redder "And..."

"And?" she can feel his voice coming closer.

_Damnit, just say it! What are you being afraid of?_

She took a deep breath before she turned to look at him. She can see the surprise on his eyes at the sudden change in her expression and with all the braveness she can summon, she continued.

"I-I know this is so sudden, but I just want to say it before I regret it. I also know that it's possible you might not like me anymore but I wanted to say that I... that I like you too, Osamu-san!" she said the last part loudly, almost stammering. "I like you! I really, really like-"

Her words were stopped as he suddenly leaned forward to halt it with a kiss.

Her eyes widened, and she felt her heart almost stopped.

When he leaned back after a moment to stare at her face with a very loving expression, she remained speechless.

"You don't know how long I've waited to do that." he confessed, as he slowly took her hands with his. "My feelings never change, Mochi. I still like you. So much."

She just looked on, mesmerized. After a few seconds, his words finally sinked in, and a very happy expression appeared on her face.

"I like you." she breathed out and a rare, genuine smile appeared on Osamu's face. Still holding her hands, he lifted it to his lips to give it a kiss and Hinata's face reddened once more at the gesture.

"Well then, Hinata Shouyou..." he started, staring deep into her eyes with a gaze filled with hope and admiration. "Will you be mine?"

A shy, lovely smile appeared on the gingerhead's face as she nodded her head eagerly, and the older boy didn't waste anymore time as he leaned forward once again to capture her lips.

When the kiss finally ended, the Inarizaki boy put his forehead on hers, staring at her brown eyes softly.

"Merry Christmas." Hinata greeted, giggling softly.

"Merry Christmas, indeed." he whispered back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaannnd that's it. That's the end of part 1. Which part is your favorite? :-)
> 
> By the way guys, I'm so hyped right now because we finally have a news for Season 4! Announcing it just before Christmas (and on Kageyama's birthday, to be exact!) is one of the best gifts ever and I can't wait for the exact air date! Kyaahh!
> 
> Next part will be uploaded (hopefully) before New Year, and it will include Kageyama, Oikawa and well... maybe a little Akaashi?
> 
> Anyways, that's it for now and I'll see you again on the next chap. Happy holidays to everyone!


	15. Extra Chapter 2: New Year Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> As promised, here's the second part of the special chapter, and this one's for the New Year. And just like what I mentioned in the part one, these drabbles are just 'what ifs', so please keep in mind that Hina-chan hasn't choose anyone yet.
> 
> So without further ado, here you go.

* * *

**1.**

* * *

"What happened?"

Kageyama Tobio has a very bewildered expression on his face as he watched his teammate, Hinata Shouyou, sleeping with her head on top of the table. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair is a bit of a mess, and she's currently mumbling words incoherently.

She's drunk.

Across the table beside Saeko nee-san (who is also drunk), Yachi just gave him a nervous smile.

"Er... I'm sorry, Kageyama-kun." the blonde girl started off apologetically. "I really need help in getting Hinata home, and you're the first person I thought of contacting."

"Why is she drunk? She's not even allowed to drink anything alcoholic yet!" the Karasuno setter said in annoyance, as he knelt down beside the girl to have a better look at her state.

"W-well...she accidentally took Saeko nee-san's flavored beer. She thought it's not alcoholic." Yachi gulped at Kageyama's expression. "The next thing we knew, she's already like that."

"This idiot." Kageyama muttered as he started to move her body. "Yachi-san, can you help me with getting her on my back?"

"S-sure!" the tiny manager immediately stood up to assist the raven-haired boy. "I'm really sorry, Kageyama-kun. I never thought that our New Year celebration is going to be like this. I should have watched her."

"It's alright." he responded as he stood up carrying the gingerhead on his back, piggy-back style. "Don't worry. I'll bring her home safely."

When they were already out of the karaoke bar and already walking through the cold, windy, night, the girl started to stir from his back.

"Huh? Where am I?" she said groggily and the boy just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm getting you home, dumbass."

"Kageyama?" she asked in a tiny voice. The boy then almost stumbled as the girl started moving, trying to look at his face.

"Oi! Stop moving around!" he ordered as he once again tried to hoist her properly. "Seriously, what are you, a kid? You're already a second year!"

"Okay! Sorry!" she giggled softly and suddenly, hugged him on the back tightly. He immediately stiffened as she started to bury her face on his clothes. "Hmmm... you're so warm...and you smell so nice..."

The boy's cheeks reddened at her words, and he can feel his self-control slowly starting to slip away. Seriously, what is this girl doing to him?

While most of the people know him as the king of the court (a title he already accepted thanks to her), Kageyama is still a normal, teenage boy. A boy, who despite his awkward and dense personality, can still experience what most of the boys of his age normally feels.

He likes her. For more than a year now.

It's a fact that he tried to deny at first but eventually accepted as he spends more and more of his time with her. He easily gets jealous whenever she talks to other guys, especially if that guy seems to like her too. Just a simple glance and smile can already make his heart skip a beat and on rare occasions wherein she will hug him or hold his hand, he finds himself wanting more.

He sighed.

Walking towards the direction of the bus station, he noticed that only a few people are around, which is actually a lucky thing. It's not going to be a good picture seeing two teenagers still loitering late at night, with one of them drunk, and singing.

When they finally reached their destination, Kageyama put the girl down on the bench and let her sit, before going towards the nearest vending machine to get some milk. When he came back, the girl has become very quiet, staring ahead at nothing in particular.

"Here." the setter handed her one of the milk cartons, which she took wordlessly. To his utter confusion, she suddenly turned her gaze to him, and just looked at his face without saying anything. He's not even sure if she's blinking and even when he flashed her one of his famous glower, her curious expression did not change.

"What?" he asked loudly, unable to take it anymore. She continued staring at his face for a few more moments, before she suddenly moved closer to his side.

"Your eyes are so pretty." she breathed out, her brown eyes boring into his deep, blue ones. "And you really have a very handsome face, Kageyama-kun."

Hearing those words, the raven haired boy just stared at her in shock. A red hue appeared on his cheeks and he started to glower at her, embarrassed. "W-what are you saying?! Stop that-y-you're just drunk!"

She just giggled cutely at his response. "But it's true! Kageyama-kun is so handsome!"

"Stop spouting nonsense!" he blurted out. She just giggled more at his expression and scooted a little more closer to his body, before completely hugging him.

His body turned frigid. "O-oi! What are you-"

"But it's so cold! I want something warm! Kageyama-kun is so warm, so gimme a hug!" the gingerhead nuzzled her head on his chest and the poor boy almost hyperventilate. The carton of milk slipped from his hands as he tried to move away, and failed.

_This is too much._

The feeling of her body touching his is causing a myriad of different emotions to appear inside him. As she continued nuzzling on his chest, he can feel his body getting hotter and hotter, the pounding of his heart getting louder and louder. The sweet scent of her hair is intoxicating him and her soft giggle is like a sound of bell to his ears.

They stayed like that for a while, and Kageyama wonders when the bus will arrive (he secretly wish it will not).

When he noticed that she has gone quiet again, he glanced down at her head which is still buried on his chest. He tapped a finger on her head to wake her up. "Oi... you're still alive?"

When the girl looked up to him dazedly, they found themselves staring at each other eye to eye, unable to look away.

A few seconds passed by before the dazed expression was completely gone from her eyes, replaced by something like mixed curiosity and awe. When she tilted her head up further, comprehension dawned on Kageyama's face. Suddenly, his throat went dry, and it's now his turn to be dazed.

Their faces are just a few inches away, so when she moved her face up a little more closer to his, he was not able to react immediately. Before he knew it, she's already kissing him.

His body screams on pushing her away, because she's drunk and probably doesn't know what she's doing. This is wrong in so many levels, and he wanted to punch himself for not stopping this before it happened. But his _poor heart_ , which is longing for this kind of thing to happen for such a very long time, prevails.

So, forgetting everything around them, he closed his eyes and angled his head to deepen the kiss.

He can still taste the beer she has taken, and the flavor adds more to the daze he felt. Both of them are still inexperienced, their kiss slow and timid, but he found himself enjoying the moment. As she moved her hands to cupped his cheeks, a short intake of breath escaped him, before he moved his own hand to the tangles of her hair, running his fingers through them.

The kiss ended when they're both out of breath, and they just settled on looking at each other's faces afterwards. Hinata's face is still flushed, whether from drunkenness or something else, but her eyes are almost drooping. Realization hit Kageyama again, and he suddenly looked down, ashamed.

"I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have done that..." he said, a conflicting expression on his face. "You're drunk- I shouldn't have... I cant believe...taking advantage of you like that..." he put his hand on his head, feelings of shame and uncertainty washing through him.

_What have I done?_

A sudden weight on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts, and he saw Hinata leaning on him again. She yawns, her eyes almost closing.

"I like you though..." she mumbled, before completely closing her eyes and sleeping on him.

Kageyama just stared at her face, eyes wide, as he tried to process what she just said. A sudden feeling of hope and happiness welled inside him, and his eyes slowly soften.

_Maybe she just said it because she's drunk... but..._

He put his arm on her shoulder to move her closer, and brushed away the hair from her eyes.

_I do hope it's true. Though I doubt she'll remember what happened tonight._

A sudden ray of light appeared from the far end of the road, indicating the arrival of a bus. He looked at her face again, before planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

_I like you too._

* * *

**2.**

* * *

Oikawa didn't expect her to agree.

When he texted the girl that morning (he got her number when they met at the amusement park last time) and asked her if she wants to accompany him to the shrine tonight to give thanks and pray for the New Year, he didn't expect she'll say yes. When he first read her response, he almost whooped with joy, and he immediately went to his closet to find something appropriate to wear.

And now he's here in front of the shrine's entrance, waiting for the girl of his dreams to appear. For a moment he wonders if she will really come or not, considering that she's going out with him alone.

"Tooru-kun?"

Instantly, he whipped his head to the source of the voice. And his jaw drops.

Standing in front of him with a shy smile on her face is Hinata Shouyou, who is unexpectedly wearing a kimono. The one she's wearing is black, patterned with pink and white flowers, and her hair is beautifully pinned up with a very pretty hair ornament. Soft curls are cascading down her soft, blushing cheeks.

She looks absolutely breathtaking.

"I'm sorry for being late." she said, staring into his eyes with an apologetic look on her face. "When mom found out that I'm going out for the New Year's eve, she insisted that I wear... this..." she gestured to her beautiful dress and laughed in embarrassed manner. "I actually wanted to wear something more comfortable, but well..."

"You're beautiful." The brown haired boy said with a genuine smile on his face, as his warm eyes continued to admire her look. "Absolutely beautiful."

Hearing his words, Hinata's face reddened at the compliment and shifted her feet awkwardly. "T-thanks..."

 _Aw, she's being shy._ Oikawa thought amusedly. _So cute._

"A-anyway, shall we go?" the gingerhead asked the older boy, and he smiled as he took her hand with his.

"Let's go."

The girl appeared to be surprised and flustered by his action, but she did not take her hand back. Oikawa congratulated himself silently for having the courage to do such a bold move, and he squeezed her hand tightly while hiding his grin.

They're not dating ( _yet_ , as he said to himself), so this thing can't be called a date. Though he already realized that he likes her, he's not yet confessing because it's something that is new to him. Usually, girls are the ones confessing (which is the case with his previous girlfriends) and he has never done it to someone else.

That's why he has his hesitations. Because in his past relationships, he knew that the girls really liked him, but now with the gingerhead, he's not even sure if she likes him back. And as he already mentioned before, he will not force her.

But his previous talk with Iwaizumi made him realized some things, which completely changed his decision.

_"You idiot! Just tell her how you feel and if she rejects you, then so be it!" the Seijou ace told him irritably after his fifth call to him. "Do not wait for someone else to sweep her away just because of your cowardliness! Even Kageyama has more chance than you!"_

He now realized that if he will not take this chance, it will only get harder. After all, they're from different schools and worse, he'll be going to college a few months from now. He will not be able to see her as frequently as he want, and he will definitely lose his chance.

* * *

After they're done saying their thanks and wishing for another good and lucky year, the two went ahead and picked their omikuji.

Oikawa stared at his fortune paper, particularly at one section.

_Love: Someone near, yet so far._

He took a glance at the girl beside him, who has yet to pick hers.

"What did you get, Tooru-kun?" she asked, and the boy just laughed before showing her the paper.

"Eh, seriously? Curse?" Hinata giggled as well. "I never thought that the Grand King will picked something as unlucky as that. You seemed to be lucky at almost everything."

"Well, no, not at all." he responded, giving her a meaningful look. It disappeared instantly when he reached out to ruffle her hair in a playful manner. "And don't laugh at me, Shou-chan. You might pick something more unlucky."

"Oi! Don't say that!" she pouted as she gets her own omikuji. The boy watched her face as she reads her paper, and he raised his brow as her expression turned pale. Standing behind her, he peeked at the paper she's holding and snorted in amusement.

"I shouldn't have laughed at you..." she said as she stared at the paper with a large 'Half-curse' printed on it.

"Well, we can't definitely take these with us." the boy laughed at her pouting face. "Want me to tie it up for you?"

After tying up their omikuji along with the many others on the nearest pine tree, the two proceeded to explore the place for the rest of the night. They watched a small performance being held near one of the shrines, and spent most of their hours playing some games and trying the foods from different food stands.

Overall, it's a fun, unforgettable night that Oikawa wish would never end.

"What time is it?" the gingerhead suddenly asked. Oikawa looked at his wrist watch before turning to her confusedly.

"Ten minutes before twelve." he answered, and Hinata's eyes widened.

"The fireworks display is at twelve! We need to find a perfect spot to watch!" she was the one who suddenly grabbed his hand this time, and it's his turn to feel flustered as she dragged him along.

He didn't notice it before, but he can't help but think how her small hand perfectly fits on his own. It's like they're meant to be.

It took a while but they're finally able to find a secluded spot near the river, under the shade of a tree which no else seems to notice. The girl flopped down immediately on the grass with the brown haired boy following her.

"Whew, we arrived just in time." Hinata said, staring up the sky. "It's been a long time since I have a New Year's eve like this, so I'm really excited to see the fireworks. Thanks for inviting me, Tooru-kun."

"I'm glad you came too." Oikawa said warmly, staring at her beautiful side profile. When she turned her face to him to give one of her brightest smile, a fluttery feeling welled inside him. He knew he can't take it anymore and his feelings are struggling to get out, so he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak.

"Listen, Shou-chan. I-"

His words were buffered by loud bangs and cheers. They both looked up to the sky to see a huge firework lightened up the darkness above, followed by different colors of sparks. Blue, green, yellow and red painted up the sky, and the girl beside him produced a sound of delight. She stood up suddenly and move a little further to the left to see the view better, and Oikawa was torn between staring at the sky or at her.

_Beautiful._

The first batch of fireworks briefly ended after a few minutes and Hinata remained standing at the other side, a huge smile on her face.

"That was so pretty!" she exclaimed happily. She turned her gaze to the boy sitting a few steps away from her, who seems to be amused by her childish expression. She just giggled. Deciding to sit down again, she took some steps towards his direction, but the hem of her long kimono suddenly got in the way, making her stumble forward into the arms of a surprised Oikawa Tooru.

Instantly, they were reminded of that scene in the haunted house, but this time, in reverse. The older boy met the eyes of the flustered girl above him, as he laid down on the grass with his hands on her waist.

Another firework lit up the sky.

He can see the different colors reflecting in her eyes, and he's once again mesmerized. Her lips are slightly parted and he knew that if he's going to move his face upward, he'll get what he want.

He really can't take it anymore.

Hinata seems to woke up from her daze, as she started to apologize and move her body away from him. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

_Screw this._

Before she can stood up completely, the boy put his hand on the back of her head and push it down to his own face.

Hinata's eyes widened as the sudden soft and warm pressure on her lips, and she found herself unable to move. After a while, a sudden realization hit her and she internally screeched. _Eh?!_

In the meantime, Oikawa was also surprised on how soft her lips are and how sweet she tasted. It's better than what he had expected, and he pulled her a little more closer to kiss her better.

Suddenly, he stopped, as the girl pulled herself away and stared at him with a very flushed face. He blinked his eyes in surprise and felt a little disappointed at her action.

"Uh..umm..." she started off shyly, face burning. "I-I'm so sorry, I was just...so surprised."

Oikawa sighed and sat down, his heart starting to sting at the sudden rejection. A sudden silence fall between them, and even the fireworks failed to get their attention.

_Damn. It hurts._

"... and that position is so uncomfortable... I can't kiss you back while I'm at that..."

He whipped his head to stare at her face unbelievably, his mouth hanging open. She was not looking at him and was instead looking down at her lap with a very adorable, flustered expression. She looked up to him to meet his gaze briefly, before looking down again, embarrassed. Instantly, the pain in his heart went away, and a grin formed on his lips.

He surprised her when she found herself suddenly pinned on the tree behind her.

"How about this?" he asked cheekily. She just stared at him, dumbfounded, and as she started to open her mouth, he didn't give her a chance to talk anymore as he immediately resumed what he's doing earlier.

The girl stiffened at the contact at first, but eventually relaxes and later becomes dazed as he continued to kiss her relentlessly. In between the kisses, he softly whispered 'I like you', which she answered by bringing her hands to his neck and pulling him closer.

Up above them, the fireworks continued to lit up the sky.

* * *

**3\. (This is actually a late Christmas post, not a New Year one.)**

* * *

"Okay, guys, listen up." Yukie, one of the Fukurodani's managers, suddenly called. "We'll be having a rice ball eating contest."

"A rice ball eating contest?!" Bokuto Koutarou exclaimed in delight. Behind him, several of the training camp boys perked at the information, and they looked on interestedly as Yukie started to explain.

"Yep, you all heard it right. It's one of our games for this party and the prize actually came from the coaches."

"That sounds fun!" Nishinoya agreed, grinning ear to ear at the challenge. "But I'm not going to lose!"

It was a few days before Christmas and the Karasuno volleyball's club was once again invited to Tokyo.

However, they're not going to play volleyball this time, but rather they'll be attending a Christmas party organized by the Tokyo teams. While others seems reluctant because they don't really like parties (Tsukishima, Kageyama), they eventually agreed when Tanaka mentioned that this can be their last Christmas with the third years.

And of course, because a certain gingerhead persuade them to come.

Speaking of the girl...

"Can I join too?" Hinata practically begged the managers, but they all just gave her a knowing smile (though in Yachi's case, it's more of like a nervous one).

"No, Hina-chan, it's for the boys only." Kaori explained, and the girl immediately pouted. "And besides, we need you to do something."

The gingerhead's expression turned confused. "Huh?"

"What would be the prize?" one of the boys asked, to which Yukie showed them a food voucher initially hidden inside an envelope.

"It's an all-you-can-eat pass at any participating restaurant indicated here." she stated. "You can even bring your family with you."

"Whoah? Seriously?!"

"An unlimited barbeque sounds fun! I'm definitely going to win this!"

"A food eating contest with a prize of unlimited food? I'll pass." Tsukishima said from the corner, watching the scene with disinterest.

"I'll pass too." Kenma agreed from his side, which made Kuroo turned to him with a frown.

"You're not joining? You need to eat more, Kenma!"

"We just ate lunch. I don't understand how you guys can still participate in that." the pudding head muttered.

"Are you sure you don't want to join?" the dark-haired Shinzen manager suddenly asked. "You might regret it if you don't."

"No, thanks." Tsukishima and Kenma responded in unison, having enough food for the day.

When the managers brought out the trays of rice ball, all participants started to get ready.

* * *

 

"And the winner is... Akaashi!"

Most of the boys looked at the said setter in awe and envy, as he stood up to get his prize from the managers. The second year Fukurodani vice captain managed to ate the most number of rice balls (15), which is not a surprise considering he hasn't eaten any lunch yet, unlike the other participants who already did. Even Kageyama managed to eat only up to 12 while the big eaters, Daichi and Nishinoya, with 13.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys, but we actually have an extra prize for the winner. Considering it's Christmas and all, " Kaori said to the group, and Akaashi paused with interest. The Fukurodani manager then slightly pushed a certain gingerhead forward to the second year boy, who blinked his eyes in confusion at Hinata's extremely blushing face.

"The winner will also have a kiss from Hina-chan!"

Everyone became quiet for a few seconds, before shouts of protests and envy suddenly filled the gymnasium.

"What did you say?!" Sugawara shouted in disbelief, while on his side, the rest of the Karasuno team just looked on, speechless.

"A kiss from a girl?! If only I knew... dammit!" Yamamoto sank on his knees and cried.

"I want Hina-chan's kiss too!" Lev shouted.

"Eh? Akaashi has to kiss a girl?!" Bokuto exclaimed in shock.

 _Uh-oh._ Kuroo thought warily as he glanced at the pudding head beside him, who is staring at the pair with a frown on his face.

Akaashi on the other hand, just stood uncomfortably under everyone's gazes. While he's not currently holding any romantic feelings or whatsoever, he has to admit that the Karasuno's middle blocker is rather cute, and someone he is fond off. Receiving a kiss from someone like her can make any boys blush and he's sure that some people might murder him from this.

"Akaashi-san..." a tiny voice caught his attention, and glancing at the orange-haired girl staring at him shyly, a small blush tinted his cheeks at what she's about to do. "I-I'm sorry!"

She tiptoed from her feet and gave him a quick peck on the lips, so quick that it only lasted in less than a second. When she's done, she covered her face with her hands and immediately run out of the gym, embarrassed.

And for the second time that day, everyone has gone quiet.

The second year setter just stood still for a moment, before realization crashed through him. Suddenly, he sat down, hands covering his burning face.

He doesn't seem to notice the uproar around him, particularly coming from the Karasuno third years and from his own team; nor did he noticed the clenching of Kagayama's fist and the scowl on Tsukishima and Kenma's face.

All he can think is how soft the girl's lips are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> 1) Omikuji is a Japanese fortune-telling paper that is most often found on temples and shrines. It is said that if you got a bad fortune, you need to leave it behind and tie it up to a pine tree or other things.
> 
> 2) According to the databook, Daichi and Nishinoya belongs to the top 3 characters who eat the most, while Tsukishima, Kenma and Tendou eat the least.
> 
> Well, that's the end of part 2! Which one's your favorite?
> 
> Next chapter will be about the Dateko training match, and will be uploaded on the second week of January the latest. And btw, thank you again guys for the wonderful reviews last time.
> 
> Happy New Year, and see you again next year!


	16. Scrimmage + Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys.
> 
> Sorry if this chapter got uploaded too late, but here you go.

16.

* * *

With just a few days before the Nationals, the Karasuno team once again attended another training match with one of the powerhouses school in Miyagi.

Stepping inside the gymnasium of Dateko Highschool, each player from different teams bowed their heads to each other as a greeting, with some more friendly individuals being louder than ever.

"Tsukki! Hinata-chan!" Koganegawa's loud voice echoed throughout the gym, and most of his senpais turned to him in irritation and told him to shut up. He didn't seem to hear it though, as he excitedly went over the group of Karasuno first years who were standing near the door.

While Tsukki chose to ignore the loud first year, Hinata immediately perked up upon hearing her name, and she smiled brightly as she saw the boy running towards her direction.

"Hi, Koganegawa-kun! Nice to see-kyahhh!" she suddenly exclaimed in surprise as the said Dateko setter suddenly gave her a big, crushing hug.

Beside her, Kageyama and Tsukishima's eye's widened, and eventually they scowled at the other boy's action. However, their stares turned into an alarmed one as he started to swing her around like a little doll.

The Dateko players just stared in horror at the boy's unabashed action, while the rest of the Karasuno team and managers just gaped.

"How are you doing, huh? Long time, no see!"

"I-I'm fine, Koganegawa-kun..." the girl replied dizzily, her eyes spinning.

 _Seriously, this guy._ The Dateko captain thought in disbelief as the boy continued swinging the poor girl around. He suddenly sensed a sudden wave of dark aura in the air, and Futakuchi whipped his head around to see the Karasuno third years looking at the scene irritably.

"Futakuchi-san, can you please tell your first year to let Hinata go?" Sugawara said , a 'nice' smile currently plastered on his face. Despite not knowing the other vice captain, the Dateko player immediately knew what that smile actually means as he turned his annoyed gaze to his kohai.

However before he can even go there, Aone has already beaten him to it, as the said giant forcibly separated the two players. The poor gingerhead staggered dizzily and almost fell if not for the second year middle blocker holding her steadily.

"Are you okay?" Aone asked with a frown, not paying attention to the commotion on his back as Futakuchi gave Koganegawa a slap on the head.

"Y-yeah... thanks..." Hinata replied after a while. When her vision finally cleared up and the dizziness was already gone, she smiled softly at the Dateko giant still holding her arms. Slowly, the concerned face he is wearing was replaced with a small smile.

"Oi," a sudden annoyed voice caught their attention, and the girl turned around to see Kageyama staring or rather, frowning at them.

"We need to start getting ready." the raven haired boy briefly said before walking ahead passed them.

Hinata stared at his back confusedly, her brows slowly furrowing.

_There's something wrong with him._

* * *

Something is definitely wrong with Kageyama.

Only a few people noticed it at first, but ever since he came back from the National Youth Training camp, his scowl becomes more prominent than ever as if there's something bothering his mind.

And now during the games, everyone can feel the intensity of the frustration he's having. It started when he first talked to Nishinoya with a not-so gentle tone, and as the matches goes on, he's using the same kind of tone to anyone not hitting his sets or failing to score. Tanaka and Tsukishima immediately expressed their annoyance at his attitude while Asahi (the most affected one of all) just patiently kept quiet. Hinata, in the meantime, just stared at him silently.

At the end of the first set (in which they lost), Asahi turned to Kageyama, who is silently fuming. "Uhm, Kageyama, listen-"

"It's not my fault!" the setter suddenly yelled angrily. "I'm just putting the ball up the way you want it! Stop screwing around and just score already!"

And then he suddenly stopped, as he realized what he has done. Everyone stared at him in a shocked silence, except for Tsukishima who just gave him a smug grin.

"Well, if it isn't his _Royal Highness_ , back in his _kingly form_."

Memories of what happened in middle school suddenly flashed on his mind and he bowed his head down, troubled and ashamed. "I-I'm sorry..."

"You know this is bothering me for the longest time, but what's wrong with being called a king?" Hinata's confused voice suddenly piped in. Beside her, Tsukishima just gave her an irritated look.

"Is it because he's egotistical? Tyrannical?" she continued loudly, before staring at Kageyama directly in the face. "Who cares anyway? If I don't like what Kageyama's saying, I'll just won't listen to him!"

Kageyama's face turned dumbfounded, as Coach Ukai just smiled from the back.

"I don't care what he says, if I don't like how he says it, I won't be listening." Tanaka said.

"Same here." Tsukishima agreed while wiping his glasses.

"Tanaka says that but you'll know he'll listen, _grumpily_ -but he'll listen. He's just picky about making sure his friends are respected." Sugawara added, and Daichi just nodded his head from the side.

"True."

"Erm... personally, I'd really prefer it if you put it more gently..." Asahi stated with a wary smile.

"The best way to put the ball up is the way that's easiest for the spikers to hit. It will involve a lot of back and forth communication with your teammates, but," Kageyama turned to Coach Ukai, who just gave him a small smile. " No one said that you cannot argue about it."

The raven haired setter turned his stare to the ground, as he ponders about his teammates' and coach's words.

_"You're a goody-two shoes, aren't you?"_

_"You need to jump higher! Faster!"_

_"We won't be following you anymore, king."_

_"What's wrong with being called a king?"_

A pair of hands suddenly cupped his face, cutting him from his thoughts. His eyes first blinked in confusion as he stared at the orange-haired girl standing in front of him, before it widened as she pull his face down to level it with her own.

Suddenly, his throat went dry at the close proximity.

"Hey, listen to me," the girl started, and he found himself unable to look away from her warm, brown eyes. "We don't care if you have a kingly attitude, okay? You're a king and that's a thing that we already accepted a long time ago- so you need to accept it too. You may change some things for the better, like your tone and choice of words-but you don't need to change yourself completely because it's not you. Fighting is definitely normal-we have a lot of fights during the games but we're still both okay, aren't we?"

He numbly nodded his head.

"And you're actually very cool, you know? Though you're often grumpy, rude and a bit dumb sometimes, we're aware that you're one of the best players here. If you say something, we'll definitely lend an ear to what you will say." she added, before smiling at him. "So, are we okay now?"

He nodded his head again, the look on his eyes slowly turning soft. Her words and the smile on her face brought calmness to his heart, making him fully understood what he needs to do from now on.

His expression changed again though, as the gingerhead suddenly slapped both of her hands on his cheeks, her lips formed into a grin. "And there we have it- the new King of the court is born!"

Scowling at the slight pain on his face, he reached forward to pinch both of her cheeks as a revenge. "Dumbass! What did you do that for?"

"I'm just trying to wake you up! I didn't even hit you that hard!" Hinata complained as she tried to get her face away from him. "Oi, let me go!"

"Oi, Kageyama! Stop bullying Shouyou!" Nishinoya said loudly, though he's laughing with Tanaka on his side.

"Well, looks like he already got over it." Ukai mentioned and Sugawara immediately agreed from his side.

"Yeah..."

"To be honest, I thought she's going to kiss him or something." Ennoshita suddenly commented. Narita, Kinoshita and Asahi turned to him in shock, and the third year ace almost shrieked.

"Ennoshita, what are you saying?!"

"It's just based on my observation. And aren't you thinking the same thing Asahi-san? Your face is so red while watching them earlier."

"N-no it's not!"

"Tch." Tsukishima just stared at the scene with an annoyed expression on his face, and Yamaguchi just sweatdropped.

* * *

It looked like everything is fine with Kageyama afterwards, as they proceeded with the game and managed to win some sets. While the boy is still struggling with how he can express his feedback in a more gentle manner (Tsukki is still annoyed and Tanaka almost lost his temper again), everyone from Karasuno can tell that he's trying.

When the scrimmage match between the two powerhouses were done, each school managed to win with four sets each. However, before both teams started to part ways, the coaches of each team announced that they will be all having a dinner together, in which most of the players excitedly agreed.

The restaurant they went into was not that much packed, so both teams managed to sit with each other on a very long table. The coaches and managers were on a separate table, much to the dismay of Nishinoya and Tanaka but soon enough, the players formed into a chatter amongst themselves while waiting for the food to be served.

Daichi and Sugawara were talking amiably with the other Dateko third years while beside them, Asahi and Kamasaki were busy glaring at each other (which is true, in the latter's case at least). The poor libero from Dateko can't help but tremble in fright from the aura his senpai is producing and across the table, Yamaguchi just gave him a look of pure sympathy. Tsukishima looks so done.

Hinata, who is sitting between Aone and Kageyama, is busy chatting with the former. Kageyama tried to not listen to what they're saying, but the girl's loud and cheery voice always caught his attention, so he just settled on scowling at their side.

"By the way Aone-san, how's Sakura-chan?" the gingerhead player asked the Dateko giant, who gave a small smile at the reminder of his sister.

"She's fine. She's asking about you too."

"Glad to hear that. I wish I can see her again soon, maybe she and Natsu will get along well once they meet. Oh," she immediately got her phone from her pocket. "You haven't seen what Natsu looks like, have you? I'm going to show you some pictures..."

She scrolled through her gallery and moved closer to the giant to show him her phone, and Aone blinked his eyes at the photo of her sister.

"She definitely looks like you." he said fondly while the girl just giggled.

"I know. Isn't she adorable? She's very athletic too and I hope she'll play volleyball someday." she continued scrolling through the pictures on her phone.

"Is that Oikawa-san?" Koganegawa, who is sitting beside Aone, suddenly piped in. The curious boy peeked at Hinata's phone and saw the picture that they have taken at the amusement park a few days before.

Instantly, Kageyama whipped his head to stare at the girl beside him.

"Uhm... yeah?" Hinata answered nervously and Koganegawa suddenly gasped.

"Why do you have a picture with him? Are you two dating?!" the tall setter asked loudly, and everyone on their table suddenly became quiet.

"Who is dating who?" Daichi asked with a threatening tone and all the attention was immediately fixed on Hinata. The decoy's eyes widened in alarm and her face rapidly turned red.

"W-wha- of course not! We're not dating!" she stammered loudly while most of the people gave her a skeptical look. "R-really!"

Suddenly, someone grabbed her phone, and she turned to Kageyama to see him scrolling through it with a large frown on his face. "H-hey! That's invasion of privacy! Give me back my phone!"

"You were out on a date with him," the boy said accusingly as he stared at more of her pictures. The girl reached forward to take her phone back, but failed when he lifted it up out of her reach. "Why?"

"Just give it back!" the gingerhead said embarrassingly, all the while standing up to get her phone back. Another hand suddenly grabbed the device from Kageyama's hand, and the duo both blinked and eventually scowled at the tall megane sitting across them. Yamaguchi looked shocked at his bestfriend's action.

Tsukishima has a smirk on his face as he looked at the pictures, but you can tell that he was also pissed. He stopped upon seeing a selfie picture of the Seijo captain who is doing a peace sign, while there's a clueless gingerhead in the background eating an ice cream. "Oh, what's this? You're having a date while we're busy practicing for the Nationals? I thought volleyball is your priority."

Another hand grabbed the phone from the megane, and he looked up irritably to see Tanaka and Nishinoya (plus a curious Futakuchi at their back) looking through her gallery.

"Ahh! She really went out with him! How did this happen?" Tanaka exclaimed.

"Did he do something to you, Shouyou? Just tell your senpais and we'll make him pay!" Nishinoya declared loudly. With a flushed face, the girl immediately grabbed the phone from her senpai's hand before sitting down and hiding it in her pocket completely.

"It's NOT a date. We just coincidentally met at the amusement park at the same day. We're both alone so... we decided to just go together..."

"Ah! So it's just a friendly date!" Koganegawa said and the gingerhead shook her head once more.

"No! You can't still call it a date. Besides, Aone-san and his sister were there with us. Isn't that right, Aone-san?" she turned to the giant Dateko player beside her, who just nodded his head in agreement. The Karasuno players stared at Aone, who just blinked his eyes in confusion.

"Uhm... why don't we just let it go? I'm sure she's telling the truth." Asahi said nervously, trying to quiet them down, seeing as the other customers and waiters doesn't seem to be pleased at the noise they're making.

Hinata gave him a grateful look.

"Well, I believe you too," Sugawara added, surprisingly calm despite his teammates' outbursts. "But why didn't you tell us about it?"

"Because I knew you're all gonna act this way." the girl pouted. Aone just patted her on the head sympathetically.

"So, are you two close now?" Tsukishima cannot resists to ask. Kageyama frowned at the girl while waiting for her answer, and his brow twitched when she nodded her head.

"Yeah, kinda. We're friends now, he's a good guy." she answered, before adding. "Outside of the court, at least."

There were no more discussions about Oikawa after that as the food finally came and everyone started digging in. Small chatters are still present, particularly from the third years and second years, with the first years surprisingly quiet. Even Kageyama and Hinata seems to be more focused on their food and beside the girl, Aone just ate as peacefully as ever.

Well, it was peaceful for a few hours at least.

* * *

When they got out of the restaurant, it was already dark, and the night air already brought chills. Standing outside the entrance, the group again fall into chatters while waiting for the coaches who are paying for their meal.

"You guys are not too bad outside the court." Daichi said to Moniwa, who just gave them a warm smile.

"You too. By the way, goodluck in the Nationals. We're hoping that you guys will win." the former Dateko captain responded, while his other teammates behind him nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for the support." Sugawara said genuinely, bowing his head.

"All right guys, let's go." they heard Coach Ukai's voice going in their direction and immediately, the players from each team said goodbye to each other. Before Koganegawa can make another hug attack again towards Hinata, Aone already held him by the collar while bowing his head to the girl. The gingerhead mimicked his action, before smiling brightly and waving her hands as a form of goodbye.

Afterwards, the whole Karasuno team started walking home together, their lively conversation can be loudly heard on the quiet street. The girl's voice has been one of the loudest, but she eventually quieted down just a few minutes after, and Nishinoya and Tanaka took over.

When it was their turn to part ways, Kageyama was left alone with Hinata, the former still brooding. A few minutes of silence passed by before the boy finally started to speak his mind (the girl was surprisingly quiet, which he finds odd).

"So, about Oikawa-san, " the setter started with a brooding tone.

There was a short pause before she responded, and Kageyama's brow furrowed further."...Eh? You're still not over that?"

"Dumbass. I just want to know if you're telling the truth."

"I'm not lying." a slight hitch in her voice made him pause, and he stared at her intently.

"...What the hell's wrong with you?"

Hinata turned her face away from him and he immediately noticed her clutching her chest, hands shaking. "...N-nothing-"

He quickly spun her around to face him, and an alarmed expression suddenly appeared on his face. His eyes slowly widened when he realized that her face has become very, _very_ pale and it looks like she's struggling to breath. "O-oi, what's the matter with you?"

Something's definitely wrong.

"I-" the gingerhead tried to speak as she gripped her jacket tightly. "I cannot... breathe..."

"I know, dumbass!" he loudly said in panicked tone."How did this- what's happening-are you dying-"

"I-I think I ate something-" she struggled to breath and the other boy felt so lost. "I'm allergic to peanuts..."

Kageyama froze at first, not knowing what to do. He tried to remember all the food they ate which might have caused the girl's allergic reaction, but when she suddenly sat down while still wheezing, he immediately threw his bag to the side and crouched down. He grabbed her by the shoulder and tried to look at her face.

"It-it's gonna be okay..." he said, trying to calm both himself and the girl down. "J-just breathe... you'll be fine..."

But then the girl suddenly turned her back away from him, before vomiting what she has just eaten earlier on the grass behind her. Usually he will be disgusted by this event, but worry and panic still took over. The girl's breathing were short and sharp, and the setter just looked on helpless while his hands are shaking.

"DAMNIT!" he cursed and suddenly remembering the phone in his pocket, he quickly whipped it out and dialed the first number on his contact list.

It only took two rings before someone answered on the other line. " _Kageyama, what's up-"_

"COACH!" the setter yelled and he swears the poor man must have jumped with surprise from the other side. "COACH, WE NEED HELP!HINATA SHE-SHE CAN'T BREATHE! PLEASE HELP US!"

_"What?! Where are you right now?!"_

"WE'RE JUST NEAR YOUR STORE! COACH, HURRY, PLEASE-"

_"I'm on my way! Calm down, Kageyama, just-do everything you can do for her now, okay? I'm coming!"_

_"_ B-but what am I going to do?!"

_"Just talk to her!"_

The older man cut off the line after that, and the tall first year immediately pocketed his phone to focus on the girl in front of him. _Calm down...calm down..._

With his hands still trembling, he pushes some hair out of her face before holding her folded hands with his. "Okay...okay...Hinata, listen... you need to breathe...you will be fine..."

The girl shook her head and his chest tightened at the sight of her watery eyes. "I-I can't breathe..."

"I know, but you need to continue breathing. Help is coming, and you will be fine. You will be fine..."

He held her hand tightly as the girl continued to breathe heavily. _Calm down..._

It took a few more minutes before a sudden ray of light almost blinded him. Thankfully, it was only Ukai who immediately got out of his car and run towards them frantically.

Everything happened so fast after that.

Kageyama can only remember that they quickly drove to the hospital with Hinata lying with her head on his lap, and that she was admitted to the ER leaving him and Coach Ukai anxiously waiting for the result. He also remembered sending a group message to his teammates and the managers, and that his phone was immediately bombarded with worried messages just a few seconds after.

He didn't know what to say to them.

* * *

Staring at the ceiling of her room, Hinata just gave a big sigh.

She can barely remember it, but after the incident of her allergy attack, her worried mother came to the hospital to pick her up. Thankfully, the attack was immediately treated and she was able to recover quickly, so the doctor announced that she's already safe to go home for that night.

And now alone in her own room, she felt a bit ashamed for what happened. It's been many years since she experienced the same thing, but it's not an excuse for being so careless. She even made her teammates worried.

Speaking of her teammates, her phone was bombarded with a lot of get well messages, and she was even surprised that Tsukishima managed to text her at least three times. Though his messages mostly contain the words _'you idiot'_ and ' _shrimp',_ she's still touched. At least he cares.

She suddenly thought about Kageyama, and she frowned.

She knows how worried he has been, as she vaguely remembers how during her attack, he tried to calm her down with an uncharacteristically soothing voice. And when she glanced at him in the hospital when they're about to go home, he looked traumatized.

_Sigh._

She sat up and took out her phone out, dialing his number. It only took three rings.

_"...Hello?"_

"I'm sorry." she started off apologetically, not knowing what to say. All she knew is that she must have scared the poor boy with what happened and that he probably won't be able to sleep peacefully for that night.

It took a while before he was able to respond _."...Idiot. What are you saying sorry for?"_

"I made you guys worried. Again." she responded, bowing her head though no one can actually see her. "I'm really sorry..."

_"No need to apologize, dumbass. It's not really your fault."_

"But-"

 _"By the way, why are you still awake at this hour? You should be sleeping already!"_ his tone suddenly turned into a scolding one, and Hinata jolted.

"I-I can't sleep! And hey, you're still awake too!"

_"It's because you called me, dumbass!"_

"...Oh." she felt ashamed again and she bit her lip. "I-is that so? Sorry, I'm just worried about- never mind. Sorry for calling you again, bye-"

_"Oi, wait! Don't hang up on me!"_

"Eh?" _This guy's confusing._

"..."

"..."

 _"...Are you okay now?"_ he questioned, or rather grumbled. But well, that's often the case with the boy's tone.

"Uhm...yeah, I'm fine now."

_"You're not feeling any pain anymore?"_

"Well... only a tiny bit. But I'm okay."

_"Don't go to practice tomorrow."_

Her eyes widened and she immediately protested. "Eh, why? I need to-"

_"IDIOT! You need to take a rest! Don't play volleyball if you're not feeling well!"_

"But I'm fine!"

_"No, you're absolutely not!"_

She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a terrible headache coming. "Stop shouting!"

He did stop, and the other line became quiet for a few moments.

 _"I just... I just don't want to see you dying in front of me again."_ he said quietly, voice wavering a bit.

Hearing the change on his tone and understanding what he really is fighting for, Hinata felt absolutely guilty.

"Fine." she responded awkwardly. "I'll take a day off."

_"Good. Now, sleep."_

"Yeah." she smiled softly. "And Kageyama... thank you."

_"I'm not going to let you die, idiot."_

_Click._

She put her phone back in the night stand and stared at the ceiling again.

She's really lucky to have such good teammates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> \- Peanuts aren't typically used on Japanese cuisine, but they can be used on broth of tonkotsu ramen. Also, peanut oils are not that popular for frying, but it doesn't mean it's never used.
> 
> \- Food allergy symptoms usually occurs just a few minutes up to two hours after eating the food.
> 
> Well, there you have it.
> 
> The truth is I got really sick (it was a very rainy New Year) so I wasn't able to write anything for a week. I'm not even sure if this chapter is that good, so I'm hoping you'll still like it.
> 
> Again, thanks for the support and see you again on the next chap!


	17. A Beach Episode

17.

* * *

He really hate summer days.

Tsukishima lightly pressed on his strawberry milk selection, and slightly crouched down to get his drink from the vending machine. Punching the straw on the box, he casually walks down the hallway of the hotel resort they're currently staying in, mind drifting to the events that happened that morning and once again, questioning his choices in life.

After the training camp week in Tokyo has come to an end, he thought that he'll be able to finally go home and take a rest for the remaining days of the summer vacation. However, a big surprise happened on the last day when their senpais from last year suddenly came barging in the Shinzen gymnasium, with Bokuto's loud 'hey ,hey, hey!' coming in as their greeting. With the request from the coaches, the previous third year students from Nekoma, Fukurodani, Shinzen and Karasuno came to join the practice, much to the delight of the younger players (which secretly includes him as well).

When half of the day was done, the coaches suddenly announced that they'll be spending the rest of the day at the nearby beach camp (last year it's a barbecue treat), which is most likely the idea of the now college students. Tsukishima really wanted to refuse and to just stay inside the Shinzen campus, if not for Kuroo and Bokuto already dragging him inside the bus before he can even run away. Also, it's not like he has other choices because most of the people are set on going.

Especially...

The door of one of the rooms suddenly opened, making Tsukishima stare at the person briefly. He then eventually froze on his tracks.

"Yachi-san-" Hinata also stopped upon seeing the megane staring at her with wide eyes. "Oh, Tsukishima. Have you seen Yachi-san?"

The boy, who was caught off guard and was unable to speak at first, slowly shook his head. "No..."

His eyes slowly roam on her outfit, stopping momentarily at one particular area, and his mouth spouted a comment automatically.

"Wow. So you're not flat after all."

Hearing his words, heat immediately rise up on the girl's face as she stared at him unbelievably. "W-what did you say?!"

She's actually wearing a pink two-piece skirted swimsuit with ruffles, which is very cute and hot at the same time. It brings out the curves that the girl has been hiding behind her uniform, and to add to that, her hair was also tied into a high, messy bun, showing the smooth skin of her nape.

Well, since they're currently on the beach, he should have expected this outfit already. But it doesn't mean that he's ready.

"W-what are you still looking at?!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed, still with a red face. Realizing that he's been staring too long, he turned his face to the side, cheeks dusted in pink.

"Well, what's with that outfit anyway?"

"The managers made me wear this..." she sighed, suddenly remembering how they once helped her with wearing a cheerleading outfit. "They're always, um... getting too excited."

He subtly glanced at her from the corners of his eyes, before coughing on his hand and looking away again. "It's not that bad..."

"Hey, Tsukki! There you are!" a loud voice suddenly called and Tsukishima whipped his head around to see the former Nekoma captain going towards their direction. "I've been looking for- whoah!"

The dark-haired boy stared with surprise at Karasuno's gingerhead, eyes roaming her figure from head to toe. "Wow...not bad, chibi-chan."

"What do you want?" Tsukishima suddenly said irritably, making Kuroo raised his brow.

"A group of guys out there wants to play volleyball with us, so I'm looking for team members. You'll be playing with us, right?"

"Ugh. Do I have to?" if this is Tsukishima from a year ago, he could have refused right away.

"Come on, Tsukki. I know you want to improve your blocking skills. Besides, it's been a long time since you've played with us. "

"..."

"Can I join too?" Hinata's voice suddenly came in, making the two boys stare at her direction. Her brown eyes are wide and pleading, which for Kuroo, makes her look like a cute, little puppy. He grinned.

"Well, of course you can, chibi-chan! I'm looking for two members actually, so it makes us now complete." He then turned his grin to the megane. "So?"

"Tch. Fine." he finally agreed, discarding his now empty drink inside the nearest trash can. He took a quick glance at the girl excitedly skipping beside him, half of him thinking how beautiful she looks and half of him wanting to cover her up because of what the other boys will see. He softly groaned.

Observing him, Kuroo's grin just widened slightly.

* * *

"Hi, Kenma!"

Kenma almost fell out from his seat while playing his game, his eyes comically wide as he stare at the girl who just waved and walked passed him.

"Uhm...h-" His words got stuck on his throat as he take a good look at her outfit, his face slowly turning red at the amount of skin he's seeing.

_Wh-what is she wearing..._

He watches as the girl greeted Kageyama as well, who immediately turned into a flustered, angry mess as he demanded her to put on a shirt. The two eventually fall into an argument while Tsukishima just watched them from the side, brows twitching.

"Yo, Kenma!" Kuroo suddenly appeared beside him, his lips formed into a knowing smile. "Can't take your eyes off the beauty, ey?"

"Shut up, Kuro." he muttered softly, face still red. His friend just laughed at his reaction, before he patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Just so you know, I'm rooting for you." the dark-haired former captain said before following Tsukishima and Hinata on their way to the seaside. Kenma was left frowning while staring at his back.

_It's not like I have any chance, anyway._

* * *

"You should be wearing a shirt." Tsukishima said to Hinata, a slight frown on his face.

He, Akaashi, Bokuto, Lev and Kuroo (aka the third gym's squad) were grouped with the tiny gingerhead for a volleyball match on the sand. They were currently playing a 'beach volleyball', however, the only difference is that they still have six people on each side of the court.

The said girl turned to her tall teammate with confusion with her eyes. "Why?"

The megane sighed exasperatedly and looked away, face a bit red. "Your swimsuit... those guys on the other side can't stop looking at your chest."

Suddenly flustered, Hinata covered her chest with her arms. "E-eh?!"

"At least it's distracting them though. They're actually making a lot of mistakes." Kuroo commented with a grin, and Tsukishima immediately glared at him.

"That's not the point!"

"I know, I know. I'm just kidding, geez."

"I agree. They should really stop staring." Akaashi was suddenly on the girl's side, handing her a black shirt. "Hinata, please wear this."

Still flustered and a bit touched by the older boy's gesture, Hinata shyly accepted his shirt (she assumed it is his) and immediately wore it over her head. The shirt is too big for her, falling down to only half of her knees and the boys on her team cannot help but think how cute it was.

"Wow, you've become more tiny, Hina-chan!" Lev said while laughing, staring at her fondly.

"Cute! My disciple is so cute!" Bokuto gushed in, as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her tiny body for a crushing hug. The poor girl cannot breathe.

"B-bokuto-san... I can't-" the owl captain suddenly let her go when he yelped in pain, courtesy of Kuroo who suddenly hit him on the head.

"Stop it, you're killing her."

"Sorry..."

"Aww... they covered her up. The view is gone." one of the boys from the other side suddenly commented and in unison, the five guys from Hinata's team gave the other side sharp looks.

"Oi, what are you saying?! Do you want to make them angry?" one of the guy's teammates tried to warn him, nervously melting under the intense stares they're receiving.

"Eh?" The guy, who doesn't seem to notice or care about what's happening, just shrugged. "I'm just appreciating her beauty. And it's true, she has a sexy body."

Hinata's face heat up once more, and the males beside her bristled at the comment. Suddenly, she found herself staring at the back of Lev and Tsukishima, who both moved in front of her in a protective stance.

"O-oi...you'll be in a big trouble, man..."

"Oya,oya... is that where you should really be looking at?" Kuroo said, smiling despite the edge on his tone. "If you'll keep looking at her face and body, you'll just lose points."

"Oh, really?" the other guy just scoffed, before a wicked smile appeared on his face. "How about this then. If we win this game, the girl is mine."

"E-eh?!" the gingerhead exclaimed in surprise and beside her, Akaashi's grip on the volleyball tightened.

"She's not yours." Bokuto Koutarou suddenly stepped in beside Kuroo, his wide, intense eyes focused on the guy in front of him. "And we're not going to lose."

The powerful and dangerous aura the gray-haired owl and the cat captain were giving finally gave the other guy the chills, and he slowly smiled nervously. "B-bring it on."

"Chibi-chan." the tall bedhead suddenly turned to the hiding gingerhead. "Switch places with me. Just stay at the back, away from that guy's eyes."

"Uhm, is that okay? I mean, I still need to be in front once the rotation comes in..."

"Don't worry. This will be over before you can even move to the front." Tsukishima said, patting her hair a bit. He then turned his serious stare at his other teammates. "So, how about a plan?"

To say that the other team lost miserably is an understatement.

After discussing their plan, the opponent team never scored a point again, resulting to a 25-5 devastating score. To add to that, the poor, flirty guy looks so traumatized due to the amount of attacks purposely targeting him (courtesy of Akaashi's magnificent setting skills). As for his other teammates, they learned one important lesson in life.

Never flirt with a girl in front of her tall, protective, volleyball nerds again.

* * *

"Hey, guys! I've heard something interesting!"

Everyone currently sitting around the bonfire looked at the tall Russian boy as he flopped down on the space beside Yaku, who slightly frowned at his loud voice.

"Huh? What is it?" Hinata paused on her argument with Tsukishima and Kageyama (whatever it is about) as she turned to the Nekoma first year curiously. Lev just grinned and pointed at something from afar, which they all followed with their eyes on.

"You all see that cave over there? I heard some townspeople saying it's haunted!"

From the side, Bokuto's ears perked up at the information.

"Oh, joy." Tsukishima said. "Let me guess, you want to go there?"

"How smart of you, Tsukki! You've totally read my mind- ouch!"

"Idiot! Instead of wasting your time exploring a haunted cave, you should be practicing your receives instead!" Yaku scolded with a loud voice after delivering a slap on his poor kohai's head.

"But Yaku-san, practice is already over! Shouldn't we be having fun?"

"What's fun about that cave?" muttered Kenma.

"I heard that there are some spirits lurking inside the cave! People said that those were the spirits of the sailors who were once stuck inside the cave a long time ago and never came out. Many people tried to enter the cave but only a few were able to get out to the other side because it's really scary!"

"Sounds bogus to me."

"It's not! And it's even more exciting since it's almost dark!"

"Ok, that's it! I've decided that we're all going!"

All around him, the college students and third years (plus Tsukishima) just looked at Bokuto with a deadpan manner. Kageyama and Hinata just gazed at him curiously while Lev turned to the owl with a happy look on his face.

"Since when did you decide for this group?" Kuroo muttered, brows raised.

Akaashi just gave an exasperated sigh as he turned to the other players. "Please just ignore him."

"Listen," Bokuto started, completely ignoring Akaashi. "We should take all chances in having fun while we're here! Who knows when this will happen again, huh? And besides, I'm sure that by taking this courage test, we're going to find something. As an ace, I can definitely feel it..."

With the words coming out from a National ace, Hinata, Kageyama and Lev were easily convinced (they're all wondering what that 'something' is but if Bokuto says it, it must be true).

Noticing the look on their faces and the puppy look Bokuto is giving him, Kuroo just sighed before agreeing ( _the bro-ship is so strong_ ). "Yeah... it will be fun, I suppose..."

"Kuroo?! You're really agreeing into this?" Yaku turned to the bedhead surprisingly. The said bedhead just pointed at the three second years.

"Well, can you stop them? And besides, he has a point. We're all getting busy in the university, you know."

"..."

"Please count me out." Tsukishima said, rolling his eyes. Kenma, who was about to escape from the scene, got held on by Kuroo on the collar before he was able to stand up.

"Come on, Tsukki. Don't you want to spend more time with your seniors?"

"I've have had enough time with you today, so no, thanks." the blonde megane just gave him a sarcastic smile. A sudden glint flashed on Kuroo's eyes as he produced a smile of his own.

"Okay, fine. Feel free to go if you want. " he then turned to the gingerhead beside him as he slung one of his arms on her shoulder. "Chibi-chan, you're going too, right? If you're afraid of the dark, you can always stay beside me."

"I-I'm not afraid." the girl tried to say bravely while the other boy just chuckled.

"Oya, oya, how cute. I think it will be fun staying with you after all..."

At his words, Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Kenma's brows twitched. Akaashi just gave Kuroo another deadpan look.

 _This provocative guy..._ Yaku just face palmed.

* * *

"Ok, this is it!" Bokuto announced as the group of teenagers stood outside the cave's entrance. "Me, Akaashi and Kuroo will go in first. The next pair have to enter after three minutes, and it will be the same for the pairs after that."

"This is so exciting!" Lev exclaimed, stars in his eyes. "Let's do our best, Yaku-san!"

The shorter boy just sighed. "Don't come screaming at me when you did see a ghost."

"Why do I have to go with you?" Kageyama asked Tsukishima, his face in a frown.

"I should be the one asking that, king." the blondie returned a scowl of his own, clearly dissatisfied with the selection.

Hinata peeked at the dark entrance of the cave as she gulped. "K-Kenma, are we going to be alright?"

"... I think so?" the blonde setter slightly blushed at the thought of being alone with the girl. And though he's not actually afraid, he agrees that the cave really looked creepy especially at night.

He just sighed exasperatedly.

_I just want to play my games..._

* * *

"Kenma, do you really think that there are ghosts here?"

Though it's just a whisper, the sound of the gingerhead's voice can be heard clearly, completely breaking the silence they have ever since they came in.

"...Not really." the pudding head answered, eyes into their path as the flashlight he's holding continued to light up their way. "It might just be a tale, actually. Lev just easily believes in everything."

"Yeah... you might be right..." Hinata continued to stare around nervously. "But this place is actually creepy..."

Kenma turned his head to stare at the girl, cat-like eyes studying her expression. "You're afraid aren't you?"

"W-what? No-KYAAAA!" a sudden small, dark creature came flying towards her way, making the girl jumped to the side and dropped her flashlight in the process. Body trembling in fright, she held into her partner tightly while her eyes are closed.

"What... was that...?"

"That's only a bat, Shouyou." Kenma managed to have his tone calm, despite the fact that his face is so close to exploding while she has her arms wrapped around him.

"R-really?" she said after a while, opening her brown eyes and having it directly staring at his.

"Y-yeah..." _Her face is so close..._

Realizing the position they're in, Hinata immediately backed out, embarrassed. Kenma immediately miss the warmth. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to jump on you like that." She turned around and crouched down to get her flashlight.

"You're really scared aren't you, Shouyou?" the setter asked after a moment. The girl from his side slowly nodded her head, and he sighed. "Why didn't you tell us earlier? We shouldn't have continued if you're really afraid."

"W-well, I thought it was cool at first," the orange-haired admitted. "And I only started to get scared when I saw how dark it was. Besides, Bokuto-san and Lev really loves to go, so... I can't refuse..."

Knowing how the girl adores Bokuto, the pudding head immediately concludes that she probably just doesn't want to disappoint him.

"And also, with you by my side, I know that it's going to be all right." she turned to gave him an embarrassed smile and he blushes at her words. "Though I can't promise that I will not jump or scream again... it's actually really scary here..."

Kenma continued observing her from the corner of his eyes, and he noticed that she keeps looking around nervously while her hands are slightly shaking. He stared at it for a while and he contemplates a bit, before finally making his decision.

He slowly reached out and held one of her trembling hands with his, to the girl's utter surprise.

"Kenma?"

"...If you're scared, you can always hold my hand." the setter muttered with a flushed face, though his grip on her hand tightened slightly. "I-I wouldn't mind."

Hinata stared at their intertwined hands and a blush automatically appeared on her cheeks. Still, she nodded her head and squeezed his hand back (which almost sent the poor boy into frenzy), touched by the unusual action of her timid friend. "T-thanks."

They continued holding hands while walking and slowly, her nervousness started to dissipate. Her mind briefly drifted elsewhere.

_I wonder how the others are doing?_

* * *

"Oi, will you slow down?"

Tsukishima stopped on his track and sneered at the raven haired boy behind him. "Why? Can't keep up with me, king? That's actually surprising."

"Shut up." Kageyama muttered irritably. "If I only have my own flashlight, I can easily get ahead of you."

"Sure, sure. Whatever suits your ego."

The two Karasuno boys has already been walking for several minutes, trying to find the exit and probably some of the other pairs who already went inside ahead of them. Kageyama's flashlight already drained its battery, leaving him with no choice but to follow his annoying teammate.

His mind then drifted to the face of his other teammate, and he scowled.

"That idiot is probably crying in fright right now." he muttered to himself, which was eventually heard by his teammate.

"You're really worried about your partner, aren't you?"

"Hah? Why would I be? I just remembered that she's a crybaby when it comes to things like this."

"Don't you wish you're the one by her side right now?"

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Tsukishima scoffed. "Still trying to be dense about his feelings. I can't believe this." He eventually stopped walking to stare at the other boy irritably. "Just admit that you like her, you idiot."

Kageyama halted from his steps, staring at the blonde with a slowly, flushing face. Caught of guard, he was not able to deny nor retaliate. "I... how the hell did you know that?!"

The megane's eyes blinked at him unbelievably. "Wow, so you're actually aware. I guess you're smarter that I thought."

"Just shut up."

"So, are you planning to just stare at her from afar? No plans on confessing?"

"Tch. You're the one to talk." the setter gave him a sharp, calculating look. "You like her too, don't you?"

The tall middle blocker paused for a while, narrowed eyes studying the annoyed boy in front of him. Slowly, a smile formed on his lips. "Yeah? What if I do?"

At his confession, Kageyama's stare turned into a glare, and Tsukishima just matches it with his own, smug look.

They continued their staring contest for a while, before suddenly hearing some footsteps running towards their direction. Holding the flashlight, the blonde turned it to the path ahead of them to where the sound is coming from.

A few seconds passed by before Yaku and Lev's scared faces appeared from their view and before both of them can even ask what's wrong, they were already dragged by the two in going back to the entrance.

"W-what's happening?" Tsukishima asked in wary to the tall half-Russian dragging him.

"GHOST!" Lev answered with a panicked tone. "THERE'S A GHOST!"

"I'M NEVER GOING TO ENTER A CAVE AGAIN!" Kageyama stared in bewilderement at the pale expression of the former Nekoma libero pulling his arm along.

"Wait, where are the others?" the Karasuno setter can't help but ask.

"We don't know! But we need to get out of here now!"

It didn't take too long before they were able to get out, the four of them panting heavily due to all the running they've done. They were surprised though to see Kuroo, Bokuto and Akaashi staring at them with surprise.

"Whoah, what happened to you guys?" the dark- haired former captain asked.

"Ghost... in the cave..." Lev panted heavily.

"Wait... how come you're already done?! How many minutes did it take you to find the exit?" Yaku asked the three volleyball players, his chest heaving.

"We never found the exit." Akaashi answered for the two previous captain, who both looked away in a nervous sweat. "I was dragged back along too, when these two scaredy cats suddenly shouted and claimed that they've both seen something white and floating."

The two scaredy cats immediately protested.

"But it's true, Akaashi! I saw it floating just in front of me!"

"Yeah! How come you're not afraid ?! What are you, a robot?!"

"I did not see anything. Why would I be afraid?"

"This is your fault!" Yaku gave Lev a kick on the back, which made the poor boy yelp in pain.

"Ouch! That hurts, Yaku-san!"

"Serves you right." Tsukishima muttered.

"Wait, where's Hinata and Kozume-san?" Kageyama suddenly asked, and everyone immediately paused. Realizing that two persons were indeed missing, they all turned to stare back at the mouth of the cave.

"Um... they're still inside?"

* * *

"Do you think the others were able to find the exit?"

"...I doubt."

It's been almost half an hour since they first came in, but Hinata and Kenma were not able to find the exit nor any of their friends. Since they're the third pair to enter the cave (Kageyama and Tsukishima are the last), they're expecting to see at least Yaku's or Kuroo's group along the way, but it looks like they've entered a different route from the others. And here they are now, facing what seems to be like a dead end.

"Um... what are we going to do?" the gingerhead, who is still holding on to his hand, asked the third year boy.

The setter flashed his lights on one of the corners of the cave, his brows furrowed. "Let's try to find if there's still a passageway or something..."

"Right..." Hinata turned her lights towards the opposite direction. She paused before turning to her friend. "Ah, Kenma, you can let go of my hand for now... I'll try to look in that way."

"Uh, sure." He let go of her hand a little bit reluctantly.

Walking a bit further away from her friend, the decoy moved to the left side to try finding what they're looking for. All she can see are rocks, staglamites and bats (she's gotten used to them by now), but not another entrance came into view. But when she moved her flashlight further to the left, what she saw made her froze in shock and horror.

Something white is hanging on one of the larger rocks, and when she moved the lights further upwards, she screamed in absolute terror.

A human skull is staring right down at her, and the white thing she saw is none other than its clothes.

Her trembling hands dropped the flashlight, and her equally trembling knees also gave up, making her flopped down on the cold, hard ground. She curled her body into a fetal position, burying her face on her knees as she cried soundlessly.

"Sh-Shouyou!" she heard her friend's worried voice calling for her, and she slightly raised her head to try and find him, before burying it on her knees again. It's so dark. She's afraid to look up.

"K-Kenma..." she sniffed instead. "Kenma!"

A sudden ray of light hit her figure, quickly followed by a series of footsteps going towards her way. She almost jolted when a hand touched her on the shoulder.

"W-what happened?" she heard Kenma's frantic voice beside her, and she lifted her head to turn her tearful gaze at him. His eyes widened at her expression.

"S-skull..." she tried to say as more tears continued to escape from her eyes. "There's a human skull up there..."

"What?"

"It's up there..." she continued, still crying. "Let's... let's go back, please..."

Bravely, Kenma stood up and shone the light on the large rock in front of them. She heard his breath hitched at first, before he hesitantly moved closer to the thing hanging above.

"Shouyou..." he said after a while.

"Y-yeah?" she answered tearfully.

"It's not real." he simply said, and she immediately looked up to see him tugging on the white clothes.

"W-what? But that's a skull-"

"The skull is also fake. I can see the price tag from here. " She watched as the boy successfully tugged the skeleton figure down and he showed the stickered paper to her. "See? Someone probably bought this from a joke shop or something. It's actually made of plastic. "

"B-but why-?"

"Maybe they did this as a prank to scare the visitors away." he grumbled before setting the figure down on the floor. When he returned and crouched down in front of her, his eyes immediately softened. "So don't cry anymore. There's nothing to be scared off."

She sniffed and just stared at his face for a while, before a small, grateful smile appeared on her lips. She wiped the tears from her eyes before throwing herself into the boy's arms and giving him a hug.

Kenma first blinked in shock at her action, before his heart started to beat wildly. He felt something warm and tingly travelling on his nerves as he felt her breath on his neck.

"Thank you. You're really awesome, Kenma." she whispered on his ears, and his breath hitched once more.

_I...like this feeling..._

When he felt that she was about to pull away, his body move on its own as his arms immediately encircled her back to make her stay in place. The girl appeared surprise by his action but did not make any further movements, and he decided to be a little more selfish by burying his face on the crook of her neck.

They stayed like that for a few more seconds before he finally separated himself from her.

"We better go back." he said, standing up with a red face.

"Yeah." Hinata answered, smiling softly.

* * *

"Finally! We thought you'll never go out!"

Kenma blinked in surprise at the group of volleyball players who all seem to be wearing a very worried expression.

"...What's the matter?"

"Kenma-san! Have you seen the ghost?!" Lev suddenly exclaimed, and Hinata shivered at the reminder. The pudding head subtly glanced at her from the side and they both shared a look, which actually went unnoticed.

"...You mean the white thing floating?" he asked with a very uncomfortable expression.

Kuroo's eyes widened. "You saw it too?"

The pudding head frowned and he turned his worried gaze to the gingerhead beside him, who is slightly shaking. "...Shouyou cannot stop crying when she saw it."

"Oi, you alright?" Kageyama immediately went towards Hinata to assess her state, and his expression became very concerned when he noticed her eyes. The girl just nodded her head and gave him a reassuring smile. Just a few steps away, Tsukishima just studied her expression with his brows furrowed.

"You're not kidding?! So it means what we saw is true then!" Bokuto said in a loud voice and he turned to the boy beside him. "See? I told you Akaashi! Kenma already said it!"

The said boy just stared at his senior with a blank look, before he sighed. "Yeah. I believe you."

"So ghosts are real..." Yaku shuddered.

Unanimously after that experience, they decided not to go on a haunted cave adventure again.

* * *

"You're so cruel, Kenma." Hinata whispered playfully to her friend as they were walking back to the camp side by side. "Why didn't you tell them the truth?"

The pudding head just gave an amused smile. "Just let them be."

"I've been telling them a lot of times that ghosts aren't real." Akaashi suddenly said beside them, and they both gave him a surprised look. The Fukurodani setter just gave them a smile of his own.

"Don't worry I won't tell. Besides, it's really fun seeing Bokuto-san and pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san screaming in fright. I wish I have pictures."

"I take it back." Hinata giggled. "You're definitely more cruel, Akaashi-san."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys.
> 
> This is a future scene that happened during the summer of their second year. I'm originally planning for it to happen during their first year, but I realized that it's impossible because 1) it will not fit the storyline and 2) the boys are still in denial during the first year training camp timeline. So there you go.
> 
> Once again, thanks for all the reviews, kudos, and follows that I'm receiving from you, wonderful folks! I never thought that I will even go this far with the chapters, but your continued support really inspires me.
> 
> See you on the next chap!


	18. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler alert.

Struggle. Irritation. Frustration.

From where he was standing at the other side of the court, he can clearly see the expression on her face. Slowly, he moved his gaze away, face tired and unreadable.

After observing their previous match and her performance on the first set, Kenma was able to think of a strategy to prevent her from scoring many points. Forcing her do a lot of receives, limiting her ability for a run-up, and pressuring her to score a point to only end up spiking in error, she was like a bird locked in a cage, unable to fly. Soon enough she will crumble and it will eventually affect the whole balance of her team, which then, will lead them to defeat.

He knows it's a cruel plan and his teammates even remarked that he's really scary, but he just shrugged them off saying that how he always do things to win. He doesn't have time to feel guilty; after all, they're opponents on the National's court. Friends or not.

Though he can't deny the slight twinge in his heart.

Kuroo immediately noticed his expression and as his friend for many years, the tall player knew that something is bothering him. "Your plan worked. Why is your face like that?"

"... I'm simply lamenting the fact that Shouyou's interesting side is about to end." the puddinghead said before walking ahead of him to rest on the bench. The Nekoma captain just stared at his back and replayed his words on his mind, before understanding dawned on his face. He almost winced in sympathy.

_Ah. So that's the problem._

* * *

Just when things are about to favor Nekoma, another surprise happened.

"OPEN!" Kageyama shouted and everyone around him, along with some people from the audience, stared at the Karasuno setter in surprise. As the ball touched his waiting hands, he tossed it very high, and Kenma's mind suddenly turned in alarm. With wide eyes, he watched the awe and excitement appearing on Shouyou's face, before she started her run-up to go for a spike.

_What?_

Every Karasuno and Nekoma players' jaw dropped. Kageyama smirked.

The top of the cage was destroyed and once again, she's free.

As the other players remarks about what happened (the timing is off and she barely spiked the ball, but it still hit the ground and the score goes to Karasuno), Kenma stood still, his mind running with many thoughts.

_An open toss, in spite of everything? Though 'speed' is supposed to be her weapon and knowing that the blockers will follow?_

It seems like she's no longer frustrated, though she's currently pouting due to Lev's teasing.

_And did she just jump higher than usual?_

"Bring it on!" He jolted from his thoughts when his teammates suddenly shouted and immediately, he turned his gaze ahead.

As the rally continues, both teams refused to give up. When the ball went into Karasuno's side, Nekoma was once again dumbfounded when Kageyama shouted for another open toss. Hinata took a few steps back before running for a spike and suddenly alarmed, the Nekoma blockers jumped to block her attack.

_There's a number of people who disliked doing a high toss. Shouyou has been hitting quick attacks from a very high calibre setter all this time, so why this? Why now?_

His questions were answered when she scored a point.

"Wow, Karasuno scores a break on the brink!"

"YES!" the crow's deviant combo shouted in unison while their teammates surrounded them in awe.

"Hinata, did you just jump higher than usual?!" Tanaka said with disbelief, looking so proud for his kohai.

"I'm just working on my 'Baaamm!' jump!"

 _What's that?_ Daichi and Asahi thought in confusion.

"That was just an alright jump." Kageyama commented, and Hinata immediately turned to him with a very large smile.

"Your toss was amazing! Thanks, Kageyama-kun!"

The raven-haired setter's cheeks turned red at her compliment. As she continued staring at him with eyes full of happiness and awe, he tried to look away, unusually embarrassed. "W-what are you saying...d-dumbass.."

"Hey, I just complimented you!"

From the Karasuno's side, their other teammates also stared in shock.

"Wow! They have three blockers out there but she still scored! Did that just go over the blockers right now, Tsukki?!"

"... Yeah." the middleblocker replied, his eyes still staring at the court, particularly on a certain someone. Yamaguchi blinked his eyes in confusion, before following his friend's gaze.

_Oh._

"Hinata's really amazing, isn't she?"

"...Yeah, she is." Tsukishima answered. But then suddenly realizing what he just said, he jolted and turned to Yamaguchi in surprise. "Wait, what?"

The dark haired teen just gave him an amused look. "You're spacing out, Tsukki. You even complimented Hinata."

"No, I'm not spacing out. I'm just surprised." Tsukishima grumbled, obviously caught off guard. "And what you've observed is true. But the blockers will have to keep in mind that Hinata can stay in mid-air longer than them, and they have to adjust their timing."

"Oh, yeah. You're right." Yamaguchi turned his face ahead to focus on the match in front of them, but not before giving the blonde a knowing look.

_He didn't deny the 'compliment' thing._

* * *

She's unstoppable.

Though Inuoka entered the court to make Nekoma's line of defense taller, she was still able to score with her impressive ability, targetting the blockers' fingertips and snucking the ball through the small gaps. Her receive also incredibly improved, which what brought their victory for the second set when she successfully sent the ball back to Nekoma's side after Yamamoto's attack.

It's like she can amazingly see everything in slow motion, and thinking about it brought chills down his spine.

As the final set continues and both of their teams are giving their bests, an unfamiliar sensation slowly rushed through him, beating the exhaustion he's feeling and driving his body to move further. For the first time in his life, he wants to continue playing volleyball, despite his body protesting.

After a very long rally in which Shouyou scored again for her team, he momentarily rested his body on the court's floor, panting heavily. Kuroo rushed to him, face worried. "Oi, Kenma, are you alright? Did you injure yourself or something?"

"This is fun." The puddinghead muttered tiredly but still clearly, and his teammates all stared at him with shocked looks on their faces.

Kuroo stopped on his tracks and his eyes widened.

Then he laughed, with relief and joy on his face.

From the Karasuno's team, Hinata Shouyou suddenly gave a whoop of joy, much to her teammates' surprise.

" _Do you still not like volleyball?"_

_He stared at the ground. "Yeah…It's the same old thing."_

_She paused for a few seconds and Kenma had to look at her face to gauge her expression. Her gaze was serious and he was suddenly drawn by the determination on her eyes._

" _Next time… I'll make you change that answer. We'll defeat you and you'll say 'I hate losing!'. Remember that, Kenma!"_

_He sighed and smiled back. "Sure. I'll be looking forward to it."_

Kenma stood up tiredly and met her eyes, which he noticed was looking at him happily and proudly. When she gave him a thumbs up and one of her brightest smiles, he realized something that he's been denying for such a long time, accompanied by the loud thump of his heart.

The excitement he's feeling whenever he's seeing her. All the jealousy with the other guys. The guilt he's feeling a while ago.

His eyes softened and he sighed in defeat.

He smiled back at her in return before returning to his position on the court, all the while hiding the pink on his cheeks and calming his heart.

It's not only volleyball he realized he likes today.

* * *

 

In the end, they lost. But he was not surprised.

A little disappointed, maybe. But still, he's happy.

"Thanks, Kuroo. For introducing me to volleyball."

"Uh... sure." The Nekoma captain looks so dumbfounded that it's almost funny.

After concluding the match and congratulations and thanks were exchanged, the Nekoma and Karasuno walk side by side as they exit the court, talking normally like normal group of friends. Kenma ended up beside Hinata and Kageyama, and the former once again beamed at him.

"Kenma-"

"Let's do this again." Kageyama finished her statement, and the puddinghead just blinked and nodded his head. The gingerhead turned to her teammate irritably.

"Hey! You totally just stole my lines!"

"Hah? Your point is?"

"Shouyou." Kenma interrupted them, a small smile formed on his lips. "Thank you. For making me realized how fun volleyball is."

The tiny middle blocker suddenly took his hands, much to his surprise, and squeezed it with that signature smile on her face. "I'm happy. Let's do this again next time, Kenma."

A small tint of pink appeared on his cheeks as he squeezed her hands back and stare at her warmly. "Sure. I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

"Hey, Kenma." Yamamoto said as they were walking down the hallway to have lunch. "I'm curious about you and Hinata-chan. Are you rivals, friends... or something more?"

"Eh?" the Nekoma setter looked at his fellow second year in surprise. The other players also turned to him curiously, already interested. "We're just normal friends..."

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"You seem more energetic and interested whenever we're playing against Karasuno. Isn't it because of her?"

"...Shouyou's interesting. She always is." the puddinghead replied before fishing out the game console on his pocket. The game's music started playing. "I always got bored easily whenever a game gets repetitive and predictable, but I realized that volleyball is different. As long as there is someone like Shouyou who will bring something new and interesting, it will be fun. That's how amazing she is. I'm drawn to that part of her. "

He chose his favorite character and started the game, and the sound echoed throughout the hallway. Realizing that Yamamoto has not responded, he momentarily looked up from his game.

Everyone was staring at him with a surprised and awed expression, and Kuroo has 'that' smile on his face.

"D-did I say something weird?"

"You sound like someone who's in love." Yaku responded, still in shock. At his words, Kenma paused and thought about his previous words, before suddenly blushing heavily.

"Ah! Kenma-san is blushing!" Lev suddenly pointed at the boy's face, who just bowed his head in embarrassment. "You like Hina-chan, don't you?"

"Really? Whoah!" Inuoka exclaimed as he started to circle around Kenma. "Is it true, Kenma-san? Is it? Is it?"

"I, uh..." he hesitated, but the smile on his teammates' faces (except Yamamoto-who is actually tearing up) has him swallowing his lie. There's no use on denying it, anyway.

"Yes, I do. I like Shouyou."

Kuroo suddenly broke into laughter and to his annoyance, began patting him on the back playfully. "I thought you'll never realize. Man, it's so fun seeing you stutter and blush while talking to chibi-chan. I guess I'll be seeing more of it from now on."

"Just shut up, Kuro."

"Kenma... is now growing up." Yaku sniffed in happiness. On his side, Kai handed him a tissue.

Fukunaga claps his hands.

"Kenma!" the Mohawk second year suddenly grabbed the setter's hands and gripped it so tightly, while tears are cascading down his face. "I'll support you, bro! Though you're the most awkward guy I've known, I believe in you! But I will not lose! I'll get a girlfriend too, WHOAHHH!"

"W-what are you doing?! And stop yelling, you're so loud!" Kenma said in alarm as he tried to get his hands back. "And it's not like she likes me back, anyway."

"Eh? But how would you know?" Lev asked in surprise, and the others also stopped to stare.

"Right now, Shouyou cares more about volleyball. And besides..." Kenma slightly frowned, suddenly remembering a particular scene. "It's a bit... complicated."

His teammates just blinked at him in confusion and noticing the slight change in his mood, they decided not to question him further.

* * *

"Ah! Kenma!"

The puddinghead jolted in surprise upon hearing her voice, and he quickly whipped his head around. Standing from the end of the corridor, Hinata Shouyou came running towards him in all of her orange glory (they're wearing the orange uniforms again), looking brighter than ever.

"Shouyou."

"Getting some drinks too? I need one because I'm so thirsty!" she stood in front of the vending machine, looking at the options. He watched as she pressed on the same apple juice he got, before both of them decided to take a sit at the nearest bench.

"So... who's your next opponent again?"

"Kamomedai." Hinata answered, and there's a spark on her eyes that Kenma didn't fail to notice. "The school of another Little Giant. I'm so excited."

He just gave a small smile. "You're always excited about volleyball, Shouyou. I don't think there's a time that you were not."

"Ah, that's true." she giggled and the sound seems like a bell to his ears. "By the way, you'll be watching the other matches, right? You're not yet going home?"

"Yeah. I think we'll be watching both of Fukurodani and Karasuno's matches today."

"Cool! You'll be watching me and supporting me, right? " the gingerhead looked at him expectantly with that puppy eyes of hers.

"Sure." he answered fondly, and the girl practically cheered.

"You're so cool, Kenma!" A sudden beep on her phone made her pause for a while, and she fumbled for it on her jersey's pocket.

Opening her phone to read the message, she almost spatted out her drink. Slowly, her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, making Kenma stare at her bewilderedly. He watched as she typed in a few characters before sending the phone back to her pocket, still looking flustered.

"What's the matter, Shouyou?" he asked worriedly and the girl seems to snapped out of her daze.

"I-uhm... nothing..." she said softly while patting her cheeks to cool down the blush. "I just got a text from a new friend. He just said congratulations."

"Oh."

Things has become very quiet for a while, with the girl just shifting from her seat looking conflicted and a bit embarrassed. The Nekoma player was about to ask her again what's wrong when she suddenly spoke.

"Kenma. Can I ask you something?"

"Uh... sure?"

"H-have you ever been confessed to?" she turned to face him and asked. Suddenly, Kenma's expression became unreadable, though his cat-like eyes remained calm. A sudden memory, particularly of yesterday, came to his mind...

_"Kenma, where are you? We're leaving."_

_"I'm on my way back." he answered Kuroo as he walks down on what seems to be an empty hallway. "I just took a shortcut from the comfort room. There are too many people on the main corridor."_

_He heard his friend sighed from the other line. "Fine, but please hurry up."_

_"Bye." He clicked his phone off and puts it in his pocket, miraculously not opening a single game. Well, since he doesn't need any distraction while going back , he needs to stay away from it for a while, unless he wants to face Kuro's wrath._

_Just as he was about to turn to another hallway, he paused upon hearing some footsteps and then voices._

_"I think I like you."_

_"S-sorry, what?"_

_He froze from his place, not believing his ears. That voice surely belongs to Shouyou, while the other guy..._

_With his back pressed on the wall, he subtly peeked at the two people standing at the far end of the corridor. And his suspicions were confirmed._

_Shouyou was staring in disbelief at the guy standing in front of her, who is no other than Miya Osamu. The usually calm Inarizaki guy is now blushing and based from what he's heard earlier, this looks like a confession scene._

_Confession._

_His heart suddenly hurts._

_He finally looked away, deciding not to watch anymore._

_"I like you. That's all I wanted to say."_

_"Umm... what... why..."_

_He knows that he should be hurrying up since his teammates were all waiting for him, but his body became rooted on the spot._

_He listened further to Shouyou and Osamu's conversation, and only when he heard their footsteps going away did he came out from his hiding place, face and heart bothered._

"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Oh... I just..." she twiddled her fingers, looking embarrassed at her question. "Well, I haven't told this to anyone from my team because they'll freak out, but... someone confessed to me yesterday and I don't know what to do..."

Kenma studied her expression for a while, before staring ahead, sighing.

"Did you say yes?"

"Huh? Uh, no. I didn't give him an answer because I'm still confused and this is all new to me. He says he understands, though we agreed to still communicate with each other. "

"... Then, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

"...?"

"If he said he understands, then it means he respects your decision. Just talk to him normally like how you talk to your friends, and I guess that would make things comfortable for both of you."

The girl's confused expression was gone as she listens to his words.

"...If the time comes and you decided to like him back, then just tell him so and if not, at least you can still stay as friends. I don't know much about romance and stuffs, but well... that's how I think."

"I... I guess you're right." Shouyou thought after a while. "I'm thinking about doing the same thing too, but hearing you said it makes it clearer to me. Thanks, Kenma."

"...no problem."

"Oh, I think I need to go now. Kageyama will murder me if I came late." she stood up from her seat and waved her hands at him. "See ya later, and uhm... please don't tell anyone about what we've talked about okay?"

"I know. Good luck, Shouyou."

"Thanks!"

As he watched her back getting further and further away from him, a determined look showed on his face.

Looks like he needs to step up his game a bit.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys.  
> I know it's been a while, but I'm happy that I'm finally able to finished this chapter. Yey!  
> Thanks for everyone who supported this story, and I love you all so much! I know that I'm not replying to the comments that much, but please know that I'm all reading it, and even taking some of the suggestions and stuffs.  
> Also, I would like to say that this will be the last chapter to follow the canon events, since the manga has a slow pace and it will take probably almost a year before the Karasuno VS Kamomedai match ends. So there. :-)  
> See you again on the next chap!


	19. Heart's Day Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short Valentine's special. Though it's a bit late.

**19.**

* * *

"This is wrong. There is no such word as _wolfs_. If you're going to make it plural, it should be _wolves_."

" _W-wolves_?" Hinata tried to pronounce the English word Tsukishima had said. Scratching her head, she looked up to her 'tutor' with a very confused expression. "Why do we replace ' _f_ ' with a _'v_ '? I thought you're only going to add an _'s'_ in the end?"

The blonde megane just sighed. "I told you it's not going to be always like that. It depends on what letter the word ends in. In this case since it ends in an _'f'_ , you need to replace it with a _'ve'_ before adding an _'s'._ There are a lot of things you should consider before making it plural."

"You mean I have to memorize the rules depending on what letter the noun ends in? That's so hard..." the gingerhead pouted in defeat. "Why is English so hard!"

"Maybe if you will stop daydreaming about volleyball while on class, you'll at least get a 50 on your exams." Tsukishima was unable to resist on teasing her cute face, and she immediately turned to scowl at him.

"I'm not daydreaming during class! Who told you that?"

"Oh, so you mean the volleyball doodles on your notebook are not enough proof?"

"I- those are only during breaks!"

"You don't even have your notebook with you during breaks."

"How can you know? You're not even my classmate!"

"I don't have to be your classmate to know what you're doing."

"Tsukishima, you-"

"Oi, Hinata. If you won't hurry up with your assignment, I'll go home without you. " Kageyama suddenly interrupted them, seemingly irritated as he was trying to solve his Math homework. The girl immediately stopped arguing with Tsukishima, seeing as her volleyball partner was already half-way through his assignment. She resumed answering the exercises on her notebook, brows furrowed as she reads the English words.

Watching the two working on their studies, the blonde megane internally frowned, feeling a bit annoyed at what is currently happening.

The original plan was a study session between him and Hinata alone, but a certain demanding, egostical, tyrannical king suddenly decided to tag along, saying that he also needs help with his studies. He was about to refuse on helping the king, if not for the girl begging him to let the setter tag along. She tried to convince him that if Kageyama failed his assignment, he will be forced to stay behind in class, which also means no volleyball practice for the two of them and no practicing of their quick.

He sighed. The things he's doing for this girl.

Although speaking of the other boy...

"Oi, king."

"What?"

"Buy us some drinks."

Kageyama paused from his work and frowned.

Before letting him step inside his house, Tsukishima mentioned that as a 'payment' for his good will, Kageyama will be buying drinks and snacks for the three of them. He wonders what kind of condition the blonde has for Hinata, but since he can't let both of them be alone with each other (just thinking about it irritates him a lot), he accepted his condition. Begrudgingly.

"Fine."

Annoyed, he closed his notebook and searched for the wallet inside his bag, before standing up and heading towards the door.

With the setter gone, the room has become even more quiet, due to the fact that the usually loud decoy is concentrating on her work. From his position on the floor, Tsukishima subtly watched her expression, finding it very cute on how she bites her pen while obviously struggling with her work.

If only it doesn't make him creepy, he could've already taken a picture.

He momentarily removed his gaze from her as he looks around, and then his eyes suddenly caught something peeking from her opened bag. Blinking his eyes in confusion, he reached out to pull the red box from her belongings.

"Oh. What's this?" he asked curiously, looking at the object decorated with small pink hearts.

Hinata looked up and gawked at him, before letting out a small yelp of shock. She immediately stopped writing and tried to take the box away, but Tsukishima's long limbs refuses to let go. He even stood up to have it out of her reach.

"D-don't open that! Give it back!" she said in a very embarrassed tone, causing the tall first year to give a smirk.

"What are you hiding here, huh? Care to share?"

"N-no! It's nothing!"

"Nothing? Haha, oops. It's already open."

Hinata only watched helplessly as Tsukishima opens the lid of the box. A look of bewilderement suddenly flashed across the blonde's face, and the gingerhead just covered hers in shame as he lifted a dark brown, unmolded thing from the box.

"... What's this?"

"Th-that's... I..." she suddenly moved forward and tried to grab the piece from his hand (and failed). "Th-that's a chocolate, okay!"

The tall middle blocker paused for a few seconds, his eyes studying the rest of the chocolates in the box, before a sudden sound of laughter burst from him.

"You called these chocolates? They all look like mud clay to me."

"Shut up! Just give it back here!" Using her amazing jumping ability, she quickly snatched the box out of his hands and hid it behind her back. She then gave the blonde a stink eye for criticizing her sweets, to which he just answered with a raised brow.

"Why do you have a box of 'chocolates', anyway?"

"Since it's Valentine's Day, this is what sensei made us do during the Home Economics class." she explained, annoyed. "You've forgotten, haven't you?"

Ah.

The tall first year suddenly remembers the untouched boxes of chocolates inside his bag, which he all found on his locker earlier this morning. He's been receiving gifts like that for years already, and he will often share it with Yamaguchi when there's too many.

He glanced again at the box that Hinata is currently hiding and though the appearance of the chocolate is nothing compared to what the others have given him, he's curious on what it actually tastes like. Not to mention the fact that she's the one who made it.

"Well, what are you planning to do with that?" he asked curiously. The girl once again pouted as she shifted from her place.

"I'm actually planning to give it to some people for the Valentine's day, but well... I'm having second thoughts now," She glanced at him and noticing his expression, she hesitated. "D-do you want some?"

He leveled his gaze on her face with an unreadable expression, making her suddenly blushed in embarrassment.

"W-well if you don't like my mud clay, it's okay! And it's not like I'm asking you to be my Valentine or something... maybe I'll just bring all of these home-"

"I don't mind that."

She suddenly paused, not believing her ears. "Pardon?"

"I don't mind being- I mean I don't mind having the mud clay." he immediately corrected himself before snatching the box out of her hands again. Hinata gawked as he started eating the chocolates from the box, and she doesn't know whether to be nervous or not with the very calm expression on his face.

There's a small blush on his cheeks though, that she failed to notice.

"This is not bad." Tsukishima suddenly commented, making the gingerhead perked up in surprise, then delight.

"Really? So it means I followed the instructions correctly then?!"

"It's not too sweet, so it's okay for me." A small smile appeared on his face as he patted her hair fondly. "Good job, shrimp."

Surprisingly, Hinata didn't react on his shrimp comment and instead, just flashed him a very big smile. "Then I'll make you more chocolates next year too!"

The blonde's eyes suddenly widened, and he almost choked. Looking away, he tried to hide his flaming face. "F-fine. Just make sure to use a proper mold next time."

"Okay!"

This is the scene that greeted Kageyama as he stood by the door of Tsukishima's room. Seeing the blushing form of Tsukishima as Hinata continues smiling at him brightly, a flare of jealousy suddenly welled up inside him.

Taking a few quick strides, he dropped the plastic bag soundly on the table. "I'm back!"

The blonde broke from his stupor and turned to him with a frown, while Hinata just spun around in surprise. Seeing that the raven haired boy is finally back, she quickly knelt down to get something from her bag.

A pink box decorated with hearts greeted Kageyama in the face, and his eyes studied it curiously before he turned to the girl smiling shyly at him.

"Kageyama- h-happy Valentine's Day!" she greeted with pink cheeks.

Suddenly realizing what her gift means, the setter's face turned a shade brighter. Gingerly, he took the box from her hands and take a look at what's inside while the girl continues to speak.

"The chocolates doesn't look too good, but they're all edible, I promise! Tsukishima even said so! Right, Tsukki?"

"Yeah." The blonde replied, almost huffing. "But the king doesn't look too happy with it though. Maybe he doesn't like sweets."

"Oh..."

"I'll take it!" Kageyama suddenly shouted as he closed the box again and held on to it possessively. He then looked away awkwardly when the girl turns to him brightly. "Th-thanks."

"Oho. The king is embarrassed."

"I'm not!"

The next day when Hinata gave the rest of the chocolates to the team, she was greeted with a lot of thanks and adorable pats. Nishinoya and Tanaka both shed tears, saying that it's the first time a girl gave them chocolates, all the while giving Kiyoko a hopeful look (though she ignored them as usual). Even Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei received her gifts, and the two adults thanked her warmly.

Overall it's a normal day of practice, though there's a little chaos before the end of the day.

* * *

**Extra:**

"W-why do I have to wear this?"

"We just want to see what you would look like! And it's so perfect!"

"You look so cute, Shouyou!"

Once again, Hinata Shouyou was caught into a predicament she could not avoid.

Suddenly shoved into a Little Red Riding Hood attire ((which Tanaka and Nishinoya found on Yachi's bag of costumes (their class used it on a Valentine's play)), she stood at the center of the gym with very red cheeks. Around her, her teammates just gawked.

The third years who decided to visit the gym that day (the tournament is over so they're basically retired) all just sighed and facepalmed, thinking how chaotic the team will be once they're gone. The second years (who are not named Tanaka and Nishinoya) are all feeling the same and right now, Ennoshita can already feel a growing headache.

Yamaguchi just laughed nervously from the side and beside him, Tsukishima and Kageyama just looked on with wide eyes, unable to speak. How can they? She looks so adorable and sweet, and it is enough to make both of their hearts clenched at the cute sight.

"Shouldn't you all be practicing?" Sugawara said patiently, despite the throbbing on the side of his head. Daichi just kept quiet on his side, though it's obvious that he's only trying to control himself from shouting at them.

"Psst...Nishinoya, Tanaka, let's go back to practicing. Daichi will be mad..." Asahi whispered loudly at the two, face alarmed.

"W-wait, hold on for a moment!" Tanaka tried to search for his phone inside his pocket and found none, so he turned to the raven-haired setter beside him who is yet to move. "Kageyama, take a picture!"

"Uh, sorry, what?"

"You have your phone in your pocket, right? Take a picture of Hinata!"

"But-"

"Hurry!"

"Please don't..."

The bewildered first year took out his phone and flashed his camera at the blushing, indignant girl in front of him. He then turned his confused face to his senpai, who just gave him a thumbs up.

"Good! Send it to me!"

"Me too! Send it to me! Send it to me!"

"W-wait! Nishinoya-san, please stop holding and shaking my arms- _oh, shit..."_

"Huh? Why?"

"... I accidentally sent it to the wrong people."

"WHAT?!" the gingerhead quickly run to him and snatched the phone out of his shaking hands. Her face turned into horror.

"I-idiot! Kageyama, you idiot! Why did you send it to them?!"

"It was an accident! Ouch! Will you stop hitting me? I didn't mean it! Oi-"

"You're so mean, Bakeyama!"

"Kageyama, send it to me!"

"Tch. They're all so noisy."

"ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!"

* * *

Iwaizumi almost spat out his drink upon looking at Kageyama's message. _What the hell?!_

**1 new message from Kageyama Tobio.**

_IWAIZUMI-SAN! I'M SO SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SEND THAT!_

He looked again at the picture with a blushing face, and he admits that she is indeed very cute. Though the problem now is on how to keep it away from Trashykawa who often uses his phone without permission-

"Iwa-chan! We need to go now- EH?! WHY DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE OF SHOU-CHAN?!"

He sighed. Too late for that now.

"Kageyama accidentally sent it to me. No big deal, let's go home." He closes his phone.

"What do you mean it's no big deal- send it to me!"

"No way, you creep. I'll be deleting this."

"Iwa-chan, don't! Send it to me now!"

"NO."

"JUST GIVE ME YOUR PHONE-YOU MEANIE!"

"WHAT THE FU-!"

If not for Hanamaki and Matsukawa, the two could have destroyed the locker room already with the way they throw chairs and volleyballs at each other.

To say that their coach is not that furious is an understatement.

* * *

"Oh. Wow." Miya Atsumu can only mutter two words in awe as he stares at the adorable picture on his phone screen. He even zoomed it in to have a better look, and he chuckled at her embarrassed expression. "I don't know why you sent this to me, Tobio-kun, but this is so cute."

"What are you laughing like an idiot for?" his twin brother suddenly asked as he entered their room. Atsumu grinned widely as he shows the picture to Osamu, who halted on his steps and gaped like an idiot.

"Look at what Tobio-kun has sent to me. Doesn't she look like an absolute angel?"

"... send that to me." Osamu said with pink-tinted cheeks, looking absolutely smitten as he continues to stare at the photo. "And I'll be cleaning our room for a week."

"Make that a month and it's a deal." Atsumu grinned, watching as a slight frown appeared for a moment on his brother's face.

"...Deal."

* * *

"What's happening to Kenma? He's been staring at his phone all afternoon."

"But isn't he always playing with his phone, Yaku-san? What's new with that?"

"Don't be an idiot, Lev. Staring and playing are different."

Beside them, Yamamoto suddenly coughed on his hand, looking so proud. "It's because of the Valentine's gift I had given to him."

"Valentine's gift? Why? I thought you like girls, senpai-"

"Shut up Lev, it's not like that! I just sent him a picture, okay? What's more precious that a picture of the girl you like?!"

"Ohhh... so it's a picture of Hina-chan? I want to see it too!"

"He even makes it his wallpaper." Kuroo piped in, grinning. "Seriously, that guy has fallen so hard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that ends this chapter. See you again next time and thanks again for the reviews!
> 
> Spoiler alert: I just read the latest Haikyuu chapter and I almost died.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> The former Little Giant looks absolutely adorable/hot. I have no words. RIP to me lol. (=>.<=)


	20. No longer dumb

20.

* * *

The loud sound of the alarm clock woke him up.

Groaning, Kageyama reached for the clock to turn it off, his eyes slightly opening to stare at the time.

6:00 am.

He closed his eyes and buried his face again on his pillow, refusing to stand up.

_Fifteen more minutes..._

He stayed up late last night trying to finish all of his homework, so he barely had the time left to sleep. And since they don't have a volleyball practice today, screw waking up early.

However, only five minutes have passed by before he felt someone trying to wake him up, shaking him on the shoulder.

"Honey, wake up."

He groaned again while he rolled on his side, eyes still shut. "Give me a few more minutes, Mom..."

Soft laughter followed his response, which actually sounds very precious to his ears. "I'm not your mom. And you really need to get up now, honey. You'll be late for work."

_Work? What work? And wait, who's that?_

Confused and awake all of a sudden, Kageyama completely opened his eyes to stare at his 'mom'. Upon seeing her face, he paused, eyes looking on with disbelief.

Bright, brown eyes stared back at him in an amused manner. "Good morning, Tobio."

Hinata Shouyou's wavy, orange hair looks brighter than ever, perfectly framing her very pretty face. Wearing an apron around her waist, she suddenly looks so mature and womanly, a sight that makes his heart beats very loudly.

Still stunned, he opened his mouth to speak. "W-what are you doing here in my room?"

"Huh? I'm here to wake you up of course."

"No... what I mean is what are you doing here in my house?!"

Hinata just raised her eyebrow at him. "Your house? This is our house, Tobio. Honey, you're acting very weird..."

_Tobio?! Honey?!_

He sat up suddenly from his bed, face red. "What do you mean this is our house? And why are you calling me that?! H-hinata-boke!"

Her eyes suddenly widened in alarm and her lips automatically formed into a cute pout. "H-hey, why are you suddenly mad? And why are you suddenly calling me with my maiden name? We're not in high school anymore!"

"What?"

"Geez... I'm your wife, Tobio! We've been married for 6 months!" Hinata said exasperatedly. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"...what?" Kageyama said weakly, a stunned expression on his face. Slowly, his eyes roamed on everything around him, and he realized that his room is indeed very unfamiliar. His bed also seems larger, which can actually make two people fit in...

His eyes traveled back to the female in front of him, who he realized is actually sitting on the bed beside him. The thumping on his heart went louder.

_D-does it mean that we..._

"I don't know if you're joking or not. " Hinata said after a while and slowly, a playful smile appeared on her lips. "But.." She scooted closer to him and suddenly cupped his face, making his breath hitched.

_Oh no, what is she doing?!_

His lips are only a few inches away from hers.

"Do you want me to remind you?"

* * *

"Kageyama! Oi, wake up!"

A loud tap on his shoulder suddenly jolted him awake.

Blinking his eyes, he realized that he's sitting on his chair inside their classroom, which is filled with many students walking here and there.

It looks like he fell asleep while in school.

"You stayed up late again last night, didn't you?" a female voice said beside him, which makes him paused. Turning to the person at his side, bright, brown eyes stared back at him amusedly. Just like in his dream.

His eyes widened.

_"Do you want me to remind you?"_

.

.

.

_Ba-dump._

"Kageyama?" Hinata asked him again, looking confused at the boy's red face. She puts her hand on his forehead, which makes his face burned even more. "Are you sick?"

"I'M FINE!" He shouted, standing up all of a sudden. The sound of his chair hitting the ground made some of his classmates looked at the pair in alarm, wondering what's going on. Hinata also took a step back, suddenly bewildered by his action.

"W-why are you angry?"

The setter shook his head, trying to simmer down his blush and trying to erase the memory of his dream. Remembering its content makes him very embarrassed and flustered while looking at his teammate, and he thinks it's not a good sign.

_Damn it... what the heck is happening to me?!_

"What are you doing here?" he asked the gingerhead after a few seconds of calming himself down. "This is not your class, right?"

"...I'm here to give your uniform for the maid cafe. So, here." the girl still has her eyebrow raised, all the while handing him a paper bag. He just took it wordlessly from her, and then he suddenly remembers.

Today is the day of the cultural festival, and Class 1-1 and Class 1-3 decided to collaborate for a maid cafe. It means that Kageyama and Hinata will be working together, serving customers while wearing the ridiculous maid and waiter outfits. He glared at the bag.

"...By the way, we need to change to our outfits right now since we're close to opening." the decoy said before walking back towards the door, and he promptly raised his head to stare at her figure. "See ya."

And then she was gone, leaving his heart very confused.

_What the hell is that dream?_

* * *

"Stupid necktie... ". Kageyama cursed as he struggled to tie the piece of cloth around his neck, which he finds very hard since he doesn't know how to do it in the first place. Giving up, he just let it hung around his neck, scowling while waiting for his teammate.

The room they were in belongs to Class 1-1, and they convincingly turned it into a maid cafe by putting lots and lots of decoration here and there. They even covered up the blackboard and replaced the desks with tables and chairs, while soft music is playing in the background. Overall, it's a nice setting, though he wishes he can practice volleyball instead.

Few minutes before the cafe opens, his teammate came rushing in, wearing a very cute French maid outfit with lots of ruffles. The skirt is shorter that their school uniform, though she wears a black stockings that covers up most of her legs. Most of the occupants in the room paused to stare at her in awe, with some of the boys having red in their cheeks.

Kageyama's heart stopped.

"S-sorry for being late!"

"Kyaa! Hina-chan, you look absolutely adorable!" another female student wearing the same maid uniform squealed in delight.

"It suits you! You're so cute!"

The gingerhead suddenly looked very embarrassed at the praise, twiddling her fingers as she shifted on her place. "Th-thanks..." she said with very red cheeks, which makes everyone around her sighed happily.

_So cute!_

When the students have gone to their places to make the last minute preparations, Hinata noticed the raven haired boy skulking at the corner. The girl practically skipped towards him with a very bright smile on her face and he just stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

"Wow, you look very handsome today, Kageyama-kun!" she complimented, eyes studying his outfit. "You look like a real waiter!"

Usually, the setter's face will turn into a scowl at her unexpected compliments, but today, she gained a completely different reaction. The said raven haired took a step back and covers his face with his hand, blushing heavily.

"W-what are you saying?! Stop it!"

"I'm just complimenting you."

"Stop it!"

"Heh, you really can't take a compliment, can you?" She stared at the untied piece of cloth around his neck and smiled. "What happened to your necktie? Don't tell me you can't tie it?"

He removed his hand from his face and glared at her embarrassingly. "Shut up!"

"Pfft. Just come here." She suddenly grabbed the tie around his neck, bringing his face down closer to hers much to his shock. With careful hands, she expertly fixed it into the proper knot, and he was left staring down at her face as his stomach fluttered at the close proximity.

"I usually do this for my dad whenever mom is not around." she said to him as she straightened his collar and patted him on the shoulder. "There. Done."

"T-thanks." the setter muttered softly, feeling strangely shy. The girl just gave him a grin before turning around to help her other classmates, and the poor boy was left very confused and troubled as his heart continues to beat wildly.

Slowly, he's realizing where this is going.

_I'm totally screwed._

* * *

Halfway through the day, they were visited by their own volleyball team.

"What's your order, damn it." Kageyama said with a deep scowl on his face. The pencil he's using to scribble the orders is close to breaking at the sight of Tsukishima's highly amused face.

"Wow, your communication skill never fails to amaze me. Is the king mad that he ended up serving his servants?" the blonde laughed mockingly while Yamaguchi beside him just snickered.

"Just tell me your order, four-eyes." the setter glared further.

"You're not being polite, waiter-san. Shouldn't you be calling me 'master' or 'sir'? If this is a real job, you're already fired."

"Why the hell should I call you that?!"

"Shh, Kageyama, be polite!" Hinata suddenly appeared beside the first year setter, giving him a dissapproving look. The smug look on Tsukishima's face was suddenly gone as he assess her appearance, and he can't help but think how cute she really looks with that short skirt and knee-high stockings.

"I know Tsukishima is annoying, but he's still a customer. You should treat him as such."

"I don't want to!"

"Kageyama." she frowned and stared at him with disappointment in her eyes. The setter's face scrunched in annoyance.

All he wanted to do is strangle the blonde on the neck or throw a tray at his face, but the expression of his female partner makes him hesitate. Gritting his teeth, he turned his gaze again to his tall teammate and swallowed his pride.

"P-please tell me your order, s-ssssir."

"Pfft."

"What the hell, Tsukishima?!"

Hinata just giggled softly and patted the raven-haired boy on the back, before leaving him to greet the other customers.

At the other table, two second years are having the time of their lives.

"Maids! Look, there are a lot of very cute maids, Ryuu!"

"I can now die happily, Noya-san!"

"Nishinoya, Tanaka, please be quiet. They will throw us out!" Asahi said nervously while staring at the two second years. Beside him, the captain was staring intently at their tiny middle blocker as she spoke to the blushing male customers sitting at the other table.

"Is it just me or is that skirt too short, Sugawara?" he asked the other third year beside him, who has a tight smile on his face.

"Yeah, it really is. But it looks like Kageyama is already taking care of it." He watched as the first year setter flashed a glare towards the other boys, who all looked suddenly pale. "And if ever he needs help, we'll gladly lend a hand."

"Tsukki, why are you taking pictures of Hinata?"

"... I'm planning to use it as a blackmail material one day."

"..." Yamaguchi just stared skeptically at his friend, his expression blank.

_I don't know what to say anymore..._

Sounds of female squeals suddenly reached their ears, and every Karasuno player froze from their seats, including Kageyama.

They only knew one person in Miyagi who has female fangirls everywhere he goes, and they all stared intently at the door waiting for him to show up. It only took a few moments before Oikawa Tooru appeared on the doorway, followed by a very annoyed Iwaizumi.

 _What the hell is he doing here?!_ The male Karasuno players all thought in unison, though they already have a slight suspicion.

"O-Oikawa-san?!" Kageyama asked in surprise, eyeing the third year setter who just came in from the door. The said third year blinked his eyes at Kageyama's appearance, before a teasing smile appeared on his lips.

"Yoohoo, Tobio-chan! Looking dapper today, aren't we?"

"What are you doing here in our school?!"

"Whoah there, is that how you greet your seniors? I'm deeply hurt, Tobio-chan."

"Oi, oi, oi! What are you doing here, you pretty boy? You want to fight? Huh?" Tanaka suddenly roared from their table as Nishinoya hissed beside him angrily.

"Don't mind this guy." Iwaizumi appeared from behind Oikawa after giving him a smack on the head. "I don't know why he dragged me here either. By the way, nice seeing you, Kageyama."

"N-nice seeing you too, senpai."

"Why are you greeting Iwa-chan but not me?!"

"Tooru-kun?" a female voice suddenly called, and the two Seijou players turned around to see Hinata staring at them in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Iwaizumi nudged the boy beside him, who suddenly grew quiet as he studied the girl in front of him. Upon closer look, he can see that his friend is struggling to control his blush.

"Cute..." the Seijo captain muttered.

"Pardon?" Hinata just blinked and tilted her head to the side. Oikawa's face reddened even more at the cute action, and he abruptly turned his face away, scratching his cheek distractedly.

"Uhm... when you mentioned that you have a cultural festival happening today, I decided to stop by. I thought it will be fun just like what you said. Is it... is it okay?"

The Seijou ace and Karasuno members all stared at him with wide eyes. _Since when did he become this shy?!_

"Oh." the gingerhead said in realization before a small smile appeared on her lips. "That's totally okay! Maybe I can tour you around once I'm done here." The brown haired boy turned his gaze back at her quickly while her teammates just stared on unbelievably. "But before that, would you like to sit and order something?"

"Sure, Shou-chan." Oikawa's happy face returned, following the girl like a puppy as she guided them to their seats. Iwaizumi just sighed as he followed his friend and if looks could kill, Kageyama could have already murdered his senpai.

At the Karasuno's side, Tsukishima's eyes narrowed while Ennoshita was struggling on keeping Tanaka and Nishinoya in place.

"Sugawara."

"Yes, Daichi?"

"Prepare the shovel. We're going to bury a body tonight."

"... consider it done."

* * *

"Hina-chan!"

A loud female voice suddenly called before the door of their classroom was slammed open. Every person in the room stared in shock at the door, which reveals a panting dark haired girl who is no other than Mayumi-chan, Class 1-1's president.

"Mayumi-san?" Hinata asked in confusion, pausing on her way to one of the tables. The class president immediately run up to her, surprising the gingerhead as she suddenly grabbed her hands.

"I know this is so sudden, but we need your help!" she exclaimed, voice loud.

"Um... what is it?"

"Please represent our class for the annual singing contest!"

"Eh?" Hinata's eyes widened. " Why me? Isn't it supposed to be Naomi-chan?!"

"Naomi is currently sick, so she can't participate. Please, Hina-chan, do it for our class!"

"B-but-"

"Wait, you can sing?" Kageyama asked all of a sudden, looking at his teammate in surprise. Hinata's face went red as everyone turns to stare at her unbelievably.

"Of course she can! Hina-chan's voice is wonderful!" Mayumi replied, eyes starry. "I caught her singing in the comfort room one time-"

"B-but I don't want to sing in public! I will be nervous just walking up the stage!"

"We will be there to support you! So don't worry!"

"B-but..."

"I know you can do it! You'll be our class' ace when it comes to singing!"

"...ace?" Hinata paused to stare at her classmate. "R-really?"

"Of course! " the president puts her hands on the gingerhead's shoulder, looking on with proud eyes. "With your golden voice, you'll be the pride of our class. I'll be expecting a lot from you, our future ace!"

Something lit from Hinata's eyes after hearing the words 'ace' and 'pride'. Her mouth parted with awe and with a sudden determination, she pumped her fist enthusiastically. "I'm gonna do it!"

"Eh?!" the rest of her teammates exclaimed, shocked at her sudden change of mind. Iwaizumi and Oikawa on the other hand, looked on with interest, especially the latter who can't believe his luck.

Mayumi's eyes shone with happiness. "Yosh! Let's do this!"

* * *

The rest of the Karasuno volleyball team, along with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, made their way through the crowd and managed to find a place at the back of the auditorium. Although there were no more available seats, the group of volleyball players are tall enough to watch from the back (Nishinoya climb up to Asahi's shoulder, much to his chagrin).

It seems like the competition is nearing its end and only Class 1-1's representative was left to perform. They all watched in anticipation as Hinata, who is still wearing her maid uniform, makes her way at the center of the stage, obviously nervous.

"Oh no, look at her face." Sugawara winced sympathetically. "She's nervous."

"Despite her confident outburst earlier, it seems like she reverted back to her anxiety mode upon seeing the crowd of people." Tsukishima commented. "Can she even open her mouth?"

"JUST CALM DOWN, HINATA-BOKE!"

A lot of eyes turned to the Karasuno setter who just shouted, and whose face immediately turned red at the attention he gathered. Sugawara was the one who recovered quickly as he laughs at his kohai.

"Kageyama, what kind of encouragement is that? Hahaha!"

"Goodluck, Shou-chan!" Oikawa suddenly shouted his support while wearing a big smile on his face. "I'll be rooting for you!"

"You can do this, Shouyou!" Nishinoya yelled loudly from atop Asahi's shoulder.

"Go make us proud, kohai!" Tanaka added.

From the stage, Hinata's face lit up with recognition, and a small smile slowly formed it's way on her lips. She took a deep breath and nodded her head at the class president who is currently at the side of the stage.

The dark haired girl gave her a thumbs up, and then the music started playing.

And when she opened her mouth to sing, everyone's jaw dropped.

_Hora ashimoto wo mitegoran_

_Kore wa anata no ayumu michi_

_Hora mae wo mitegoran_

_Are ga anata no mirai_

"Wow..." Iwaizumi said, not believing his ears. The whole auditorium has gone quiet, all were watching in awe as the girl continues to sing.

_Aha ga kureta takusan no yasashisa_

_Ai wo idaite ayume to kurikaeshita_

_Ano toki wa mada osanakute imi nado shiranai_

_Sonna watashi note wo nigiri_

_Isshi no ayundekita..._

"I didn't know she can sing..." Sugawara commented in awe. Some of the volleyball players beside him nodded their heads in agreement, and three boys in particular were completely mesmerized.

Oikawa was staring at the girl with a warm, endearing expression, and a small smile was formed on his lips. It is a look that Iwaizumi has never seen on his face before, and he doesn't know whether it's a good sign or not ( _because well, there's always a possibility of a broken heart in the end_ ).

Behind his glasses, Tsukishima's eyes widened slightly, his cheeks dusted pink. Hearing the sound of the girl's voice causes his heart to thump loudly, very clearly.

The usual scowl on Kageyama's face was absent, replaced by the softest expression one can ever see on the boy's face. Something inside his chest tightens while his heart continues to palpitate, and slowly, a sense of realization washed through him. Unconsciously, he put his hand on his heart and clutched his shirt.

_Oh._

* * *

"Wow, Shouyou! You really can sing!" Nishinoya shouted in excitement as the girl started walking towards the group. After receiving her award and being mobbed by her classmates (she won, yey!), she immediately got off the stage to meet her teammates. She smiled at them sheepishly while sporting a small blush on her cheeks.

"Oh well... I sometimes sing at home... I'm honestly not that good though..."

"What do you mean you're not good? You sound like an angel!" Tanaka exclaimed and behind him, the other players gave her a thumbs up, all giving proud looks.

"I almost cried." Sugawara wiped an invisible tear from the corner of his eye.

"Great job."

"You sure you don't want to be a singer?"

"Hehe... I'd rather focus on volleyball for now..." Hinata felt someone patting her head, and she looked up to see Oikawa beaming at her.

"I was so moved, Shou-chan!" he said brightly. The Karasuno team just watched in alert as the Seijo player continued on ruffling her hair, completely unaware or uncaring about the dangerous aura surrounding the group.

"Umm, thanks." the girl muttered shyly, before a surprise look appeared on her face. "Oh, I forgot that I was supposed to tour you around! I'm so sorry, Tooru-kun..."

"It's alright, I still had fun." He suddenly sighed miserably. "But unfortunately, we need to go now because coach wants to see us."

"Oh, I see." Hinata responded, a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, she still gave him a look of appreciation, tilting her head to the side a bit and smiling. "It's okay! Thanks for coming, Tooru-kun! You too, Iwaizumi-san!"

Iwaizumi's face reddened a bit at the sight of her cute expression, and Oikawa wore a blank expression for a moment before suddenly moving forward and holding her hands (her teammates stiffened at the action).

"Why don't you come with me, Shou-chan?"

"Eh?"

"Let's spend more time together today. I'll even walk you home-"

"Stop it, baka!"

The third year setter moved his hands to clutch his head ( _"Ouch, Iwa-chan!")_ and at the same time, Hinata was pulled away into someone's else body. Kageyama leveled a hard glare at his former senpai, who just blinked his eyes in confusion at first. Eventually, understanding dawned on his face and he gave back a smug look. An invisible spark suddenly appeared between them.

No single word was said, but the message is clear between the two (and to most of the people watching -except for Hinata of course).

"Um, what's the matter?" the gingerhead asked, glancing between the setters. Oikawa broke away from his trance and smiled at her again.

"Nothing, Shou-chan. Tobio-chan is just being childish as always." he spun around and started walking away, but not before waving his hand as a goodbye and giving Kageyama one last look.

_I'm not gonna lose._

* * *

"Tobio-chan likes Shou-chan."

Outside the Karasuno campus, Iwaizumi stopped on his tracks to stare at his friend. "Huh?"

"He's glaring at me as if I'm going to take one of his precious belongings away." Oikawa said nonchalantly. He shrugged. "Well, it's not like it's untrue."

"...what the hell are you planning?"

"Eh? I'm not planning anything bad." the setter looked slightly offended, though he immediately replaced it with a childish grin. "But I really want to see his broken hearted face one day and say to him _'Just because you're on the same team, it doesn't mean she's yours already!'_. Hah! That would be precious!"

A vein twitched on Iwaizumi's forehead. "You really are a piece of shit."

"Huh? Why- OUCH!WHY DID YOU HIT ME?!"

"Your face annoys me."

* * *

**Extra (from Chapter 338-339- Spoiler alert!):**

"Hey, Kageyama. I wonder..."

Kageyama moved his gaze to his partner, who is wearing an unreadable expression on her face.

"I wonder why I'm not disappointed at all."

After talking to the former Little Giant and learning that he no longer plays volleyball, Hinata looked visibly surprised. Initially, she's really excited to ask him about his current team and career, but everything turned out to be the opposite.

Her partner studied her face some more, and he realized that yes, there's something new to her expression. It looks like she finally realized something that she's unaware of for the longest time, and he turned his gaze away once again as they entered the court.

"Finally." he responded, which caused the girl to be confused by his reaction. Shrugging, she didn't say any more words as she caught up on walking beside him. Briefly, she glanced again at the audience and sighed (while her cheeks are a bit pink).

"...He's attractive though."

"HAH?!"

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAGGHHH... sorry, guys. I wasn't able to update on a weekly basis just like what I'm used to. Things are just getting more busy in here and I barely had the time to write... But well, I'll still try to update as much as possible.
> 
> Thanks a lot for all of your support with this story, and I never thought I'll even reach 20 chapters. Hohoho.
> 
> P.S: By the way, the song that Hinata sung is titled Mirae by Kiroro. Search it up, it's good. :-)
> 
> See you again next time!


	21. Meeting

21.

* * *

10:00 am.

It looks like she's too early.

Standing outside the entrance of a shopping mall, Hinata shifted from foot to foot, all the while fixing the dark skirt she decided to wear today. Staring ahead, she carefully observes the surrounding while trying to look for a familiar face, though she knew that he will not appear until twenty minutes later. She also thought of strolling somewhere for a while, but the mall is too big and she might get lost, so setting the idea aside, she just patiently remained on their meeting place.

When she got tired on looking at the crowd several minutes later, she decided to fixed her gaze on her shoes, mind drifting to the reason on why she's here in the first place...

_"Huh? You want me to come with you?"_

_"If it's okay. Aside from the fact that you live in Miyagi, I honestly don't have any other female friends besides you, so if you can come-"_

_"Ah, is that so? Then I'll go." she answered understandably. There was a brief pause on the other line._

_"Really? Thanks, I appreciate it."_

_"No problem. So what time shall we meet?"_

_"Is 10:30 okay with you?"_

It's been months since the last time they've seen each other, and though she's already comfortable with him being her friend and text buddy, she can't help feeling a little bit nervous at this meeting. Considering the fact that he has this feelings for her, well, it's understandable.

A sudden tap on her shoulder prompted her to jolt and raised her head in alarm, meeting the amused gaze of Miya Osamu. Wearing a nice, casual getup (a pair of jeans and a styled hoodie), he looks as handsome as ever, and if Hinata was the type of girl who cares about a boy's appearance, she could have swoon.

Instead, she just blinked her eyes in surprise, before the usual sunny expression appeared on her face. She beamed at him brightly. "Hi, Osamu-san!"

"You're early." he said as a greeting, a small smile playing on his lips. "Nice to see you again, Mochi."

"Oh well, it seems like I've miscalculated the time." she said sheepishly. "But anyway, nice to see you too!"

The two friends decided to have a conversation while walking, talking about their school, teammates, and of course, volleyball. Suddenly, he remembered why he asked the girl to come with him in the first place.

"About what I've asked you last night," he started as the girl raised her head to listen to him. "Well... what do you think?"

"Oh! You mean the gift?" the gingerhead perked up. "I know the perfect place where you can buy it. Just follow me!"

Several minutes later, they found themselves in front of a gift shop, and the Inarizaki twin followed the girl as she led him inside. The store doesn't have too much people, though several groups of women and girls can be found shopping.

"I think you can buy your grandmother a hair ornament as a gift." Hinata suddenly said as they stopped in front of a section filled with hair accessories. "My grandma used to love stuffs like this. What do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea." he responded, eyes looking on with interest at the display. Several pieces of hair ornaments, including even the traditional ones with different colors and designs, are lined up for selection. He looked at each design thoughtfully while the girl beside him started to pick out some interesting hairpins.

"Oh, here. I think this is wonderful." the orange haired girl nudged him from the side, and he turned to stare at the piece of traditional Japanese hairpin she's holding. The Kanzashi is made of wood and about seven inches long, adorned by small, pink, sakura flowers hanging at the end. He held it in his hand and hummed in approval.

"It's pretty."

"You can also pick other designs if you want to." she replied, before looking on interestedly at another section of the store. "Uhm, Osamu-san, I'll just look for something over there, okay? Can you wait for me here? It will take just a few minutes."

"Sure."

"Thanks!"

When she was gone, Osamu tried to look on the ornaments once more, but it looks like the girl has already picked the prettiest one among the _kanzashis_. It's not like he can give his grandma a girl's hairpin or something, though his eyes caught some lovely designs. His hand reached out for a pair of white sunflower hair clips, staring at it as a sudden image comes to his mind. A smile then formed on his lips.

_Wonderful._

"Osamu-san!" he turned to his left to see the girl walking towards him, hands holding on to a bag of kiddie hairclips. "Are you done?"

"Yes. I'll be getting this one." he showed her the one she gave him earlier, and the gingerhead beamed.

"That's really pretty, isn't it? I'm sure your grandma will like it." she turned around to head to the nearest counter, while the boy closely followed behind. On his other hand is the pair of hair clips he saw earlier, and he ponders as he stared at the back of her head.

_It will look good on a bright, orange hair._

* * *

"Do you need to go somewhere after this?" Osamu asked once they're outside the mall. The girl shook her head while putting her purchases in her bag.

"Not really. Why?"

"...Would you like to come with me? To grandma's house?"

Hinata paused and looked at the boy in surprise. "...Sure? I mean, is that okay?"

"You're one of my friends." a small blush tinted his cheeks, thinking how his family will question him about this later. "She wouldn't mind."

And the truth is, he still wants to spend more time with her.

They boarded the bus along with other people, and it was unfortunately packed. Finding no more seats, the two just settled on standing near the middle, with Osamu holding on to one of the straps hanging inside. Since Hinata cannot hold on to one because of her height (much to her dismay and to his amusement), she held on to his jacket instead.

The two continued to converse on the way and when the bus made an abrupt stop, the force sent the girl forwards straight to the boy's body. The sudden event caused the two volleyball players to froze in place, with the gingerhead leaning her head on his chest while one of his hand is holding on to her waist. He gripped on the bus strap tightly as more passengers came in, pushing the two closer to each other, to the point that they're almost squashed.

"...I'm so sorry, Osamu-san." Hinata whispered on his chest, face blushing. Unknown to her, the boy was also sporting the same red face, feeling so overwhelmed by her body touching his. Not only that but he can also smell the sweet scent of her hair, and it's driving him crazy.

"...it's alright."

When they finally reached their destination, the two got off the bus with slight blushes tinging their cheeks. They stared at each other awkwardly at first before Osamu suddenly coughs and turn around, breaking the tension completely.

"We just need to walk a bit." he said as he gestured to the path ahead of them. Nodding her head, she walked towards his side, her expression back to normal.

"Umm, what's your family like?"

"They're nice, I guess." he responded before frowning. "Except for Tsumu."

She suddenly giggled and his eyes turned to her softly. Bright, brown eyes stared back at him and once again she smiled, causing something warm and pleasant to arise from his chest.

He can live for moments like this.

* * *

The house they went into is a big, traditional one, and Hinata can't help but gape in awe. Walking ahead of her, Osamu has to look back several times to see the girl examining the statues and the house design. She's like a child going to a field trip for the first time, and he thinks it's so adorable. His lips turned up at the sight.

When they walked by the garden, the girl emitted another sound of awe.

"Woahhh! A pond!" she immediately got near its edge and sat down, eyes boring into the water. "And look, it's a Koi fish! There are lots of them!"

"The pond water is cold, so be careful not to fall." he warned, though his eyes held warmth.

"Oh, is that so?" she only took a step or two backward, gaze still on the fishes.

"I need to go inside to find my mom." he paused, a bit hesitant. "Would you like to wait here first?"

"Sure. I don't mind." she glanced at him briefly and nodded her head. When the boy was gone, the girl paid her attention again to the swimming Koi fishes, watching in interest as the orange creatures waggle their tails as they swam near the edge. Putting her bag down on the grass, she moved closer and dipped her hand into the water, giggling when some of them gave her tickles.

Perhaps she's too absorbed with what she's doing that she failed to notice the person looming behind her.

"Boo."

Startled, the Karasuno decoy let out a loud scream and quickly, she spun her head around. She met the highly amused gaze of Miya Atsumu, who bursted out laughing upon seeing her frantic expression.

"A-Atsumu-san?!"

"I thought my eyes are deceiving me when I saw a mop of orange hair." Atsumu said after a few moments, eyes teary. "But it's really you. You're so jumpy, Shouyou-chan."

A pout formed its way on her lips as she stood up and stared at him indignantly. "That's not funny! I almost fell!"

"Hehe. Has my brother finally plucked out the courage to ask you out? I can't believe he's introducing you to the family already." he said teasingly and the girl blushes.

"N-no! We're just friends!"

_But Samu has never invited a friend before, let alone a girl._ He just gave her an amused stare before a playful smile almost appeared on his lips. _Oh, well...at least I can tease them while she's here._

"Hai, hai, sure, whatever you say. But Shouyou-chan, you shouldn't be wandering alone in an old house like this." His voice turned a bit solemn. "There's a reason Samu and I never visited this part of the house when we were still kids."

She gave him a confused look. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Do you see that small well over there? If you're watching horror movies, you should know." he watched as the girl froze from her place. "And not only that, there are lots of spirits lurking here, even in broad daylight. Some of them might drown you into the pond, you know."

"S-stop scaring me! I'm not a kid!" Hinata stuttered, looking so unnerved. "Osamu-san never mentioned anything like that... so I-I know you're just joking!"

He faked a surprised look. "Really? I can't believe he did that. But look, there's actually a lady behind you."

"KYAAA!" she jumped from her place and made a move forward, intending to run. However, her foot caught the strap of her bag, causing her to stumble near the edge of the pond. Atsumus's eyes widened as his hands automatically reaches out.

"I-I'm just kidding, Shouyou-chan-!"

The help is in vain as the girl already started falling downwards, dragging the tall boy with her as they both fell into the pond. A loud splash was heard and the school of fish beneath them immediatedly scampered away. At the same time, Osamu and his mother (who both heard her shriek) rounded at the corner, and they stared in shock at the scene in front of them.

After hitting the water, Hinata flailed her arms and feet in panic, trying to find something to hold on to. Without thinking, she immediately clung into Atsumu's body while shouting words helplessly.

"HELP! I CAN'T SWIM! I'LL SURELY DROWN AND KAGEYAMA WILL KILL ME!"

"Shouyou-chan, wait-"

"PLEASE SAVE ME! I STILL WANT TO LIVE!"

"Shouyou-chan, your chest-"

"HELP!"

"You're not going to drown because it's not even deep!"

"...Eh?"

The gingerhead quickly stopped her struggle upon hearing his statement. Blinking her eyes, she noticed that the Inarizaki setter was just sitting and her knees are actually touching the pond's surface. She was also positioned in between his legs, hugging him tightly, and the realization was enough to turn her face into the same shade as his.

"I-I'M SO SORRY!" she exclaimed, backing out away from him in a swift manner. He just stared at her exasperatedly, but when his eyes traveled to her wet clothes, he paused and ogled. Noticing his stare, she quickly covered herself up, embarrassed.

"W-what are you staring at?!"

"..."

"Yeah, what are you staring at?"

Both teenagers froze at the sound of the other twin's voice and slowly, they both whipped their heads to see Osamu and a pretty woman watching them. While the dark-haired woman's gaze contains nothing but amusement, Osamu's piercing stare at his brother was enough to make him gulped in nervousness.

"Oh, dear, what do we have here?" the woman just stated kindly.

* * *

"I told you, it was just an accident!"

"Accident or not, it seems like you're enjoying yourself too much."

"Well yeah, I admit it's really a nice feeling to have her chest pressed against my body-" Atsumu was not able to finish his sentence as his brother threw a pillow on his face in a scary accuracy.

"You're disgusting."

"AGHHH!" Frustrated, the setter flung another pillow at his brother, who just dodged it expertly. "What's the matter with you? I already said sorry earlier!"

"Who's saying sorry while throwing a volleyball at a person's face?"

"But you hit me first!"

"Boys."

The door of their room suddenly slid open, revealing their mother who is staring at them patiently. "Will you two behave? This is your grandmother's house, not ours."

"But mom, it's Osamu who-"

"Eh? You're their mother?" Hinata suddenly appeared beside the woman, wearing a white yukata adorned with pink flowers. She looks so lovely that any mean words for his brother died out from Osamu's mouth.

"Oh, didn't I introduce myself? I'm so sorry, dear."

"N-no, it's okay! I'm just surprised because you still look so young and pretty!"

Their mother looks so pleased with the girl's words that she actually blushes. Laughing softly, she gave the gingerhead a fond look. "You think so? My, what an absolute angel you are! I like you already!" She turned to the boys who were just watching the two interact.

"By the way, lunch is now ready. So hurry up, both of you." she turned to the girl beside her. "Let's go ahead, Shouyou-chan."

"Sure, Mrs. Miya." she mouthed _'see ya later'_ to the twins before walking beside their mother towards the hallway. "By the way, thanks for the clothes. Sorry if I troubled you."

"No problem, dear. You can wear that while we wait for your clothes to dry up."

* * *

Hinata initially imagined that the twins' grandmother would be a strict-looking, scary, old lady. However it was actually the opposite, as the woman in front of her is actually very kind, beautiful, and has the warmest smile she has ever seen.

"I really like your gift, Samu." she stated as she stared at the hairpin in her hands fondly, eyes crinkling. "Did you pick it?"

Osamu actually looked away, cheeks tinging in slight embarrassment.

After lunch, their family gathered into one of the rooms, handing out their gifts to the woman who turned eighty years old today. As expected, there were a lot of curious glances from his relatives that were thrown between him and the gingerhead, though no one has been asking any questions. Yet.

"Yeah... but she helped me." he answered shortly, still looking away. The old woman suddenly glanced at the girl beside his grandson, who immediately flushed and bowed her head as a greeting.

"Oh, is that so? You have a very good taste when it comes to things like this. May I ask your name, dear?"

The Karasuno student immediately straightened up. "I-I'm Hinata Shouyou! I'm from Karasuno High school here in Miyagi, ma'am! Nice to meet you!"

"Oh, so you're from here? How did you and my grandson meet?"

"I-I'm a volleyball player from my school..."

"Volleyball?"

"They defeated our team, baa-chan." Atsumu suddenly piped in, causing everyone to look at the orange-haired girl in surprise.

"Eh? You're part of the men's volleyball team? Wow!"

"Ah! I remembered you from the TV! You're the girl who can fly!" one of their male cousins who is a middle-schooler pointed at her excitedly. Hinata turned to him and smiled shyly, causing the boy to blush a bit before bombarding her with more questions.

From the side, the old woman just smiled approvingly. "What a wonderful and strong lady. You have a good taste too, Samu."

Atsumu suddenly coughed and hid his smile as his brother and Hinata just stared at their grandmother in confusion. Osamu blinked his eyes, not clearly understanding what his grandmother meant.

"Yeah...? I guess so?"

"..."

"..."

"Ohhhh... so when's the wedding?" one of his older female cousins suddenly asked, much to the shock of the two person currently on the spotlight.

"E-eh?!"

Atsumu's shoulder shook in silent laughter.

"Are you really onii-san's girlfriend?" their younger cousin asked the gingerhead, who just shook her head with an embarrassed face.

"N-no! We're just friends!"

"She's not my girlfriend." Osamu added, cheeks in the same red color. His brother just gave him a smug, teasing grin.

"Not. Yet."

"Shut up!" A kick was quickly aimed at the setter's face, which he luckily dodged. Soon, both of them were already throwing punches at each other while in the background, Hinata was being mobbed by their cousins and aunts. The room is slowly turning into a chaotic mess, though the twins' grandmother and mother were just silently sipping tea, eyes staring at the scene fondly.

It only stopped though when the twins' father bopped both of his sons on their heads, all the while apologizing for their behavior.

Hinata might have imagined it, but she thought she saw him giving her a thumbs up.

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me, Mochi."

"Oh, I enjoyed it too! Thanks for inviting me, Osamu-san. Your family's so nice."

Despite the awkward and embarrassing moments at the Miya house (they were teased a lot by his cousins and even Atsumu), Hinata appreciated the fact that they all accepted her warmly.

Arriving at the bus station, both of them sheltered themselves under one of the sheds as they waited for the bus to arrive. Suddenly remembering something, Osamu groped his pocket to search for the item he's keeping with him this whole time.

"By the way, this is for you." Turning to the girl beside him, he held out his hand to give her the pair of hairclips he bought earlier. Eyes wide, Hinata took it from his hands and smiled.

"These... these are so pretty." she said, meeting his eyes. "Thanks."

"I actually think it will suit your hair." he replied softly, watching as she actually pinned one of the clips to the side of her head. She then turned to him brightly, eyes sparkling.

"So? How do I look?"

Warmth immediately spread on his cheeks as he stared at her pretty face, and seeing her wearing his gift is a better image than he imagined. The soft wind blew her hair and the strands flowed freely in the background, perfectly complimenting the brightness of the setting sun behind her.

A breath of awe escaped him as he opened his mouth to speak.

"B-beauti-"

"Oh, I can already see the bus coming." she suddenly said, eyes staring at the far end of the road behind him. She then turned to him again apologetically. "I'm so sorry, what did you say?"

The corner of his mouth lifted, forming a genuine smile. "You're beautiful."

Her mouth parted open at his expression, before she looked away, a small blush dusting her cheeks. "T-thanks, Osamu-san..."

"Osamu."

She paused and turned to him again. "Huh?"

"Just call me Osamu. You can drop the _san_."

A complete silence followed his statement as Hinata just stared at him, a bit surprised. Removal of honorifics can mean a lot of things especially between a girl and a boy, and other people might get the wrong idea. But setting that idea aside, she realized that maybe, this is just another step into their friendship, and there's something in his eyes that's preventing her from saying no.

So, she agreed. "Ok... O-Osamu."

Something flickered from his eyes, which she failed to notice as her eyes caught the bus already arriving a few meters away from them.

"Ah, it's here." she announced, before looking at his eyes and smiling softly. "So I guess this is goodbye. You'll be leaving Sendai tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well then...see you soon, I guess? The next time we'll meet again will probably be in the tournament."

"Yeah."

The bus is almost in front of them, so she quickly waved her hand to him. "Bye, bye."

"Wait."

Before she can completely turn around, he suddenly cupped her face and leaned forwards, making her eyes widened. He then kissed her on the cheek, rendering her both speechless and incredibly flustered.

It seems like forever (though it was only seconds) before he finally pulled back, smiling at her too warmly.

"See you soon, Shouyou." he said gently, before leading her still-shocked form towards the entrance of the bus. Seeing the waiting vehicle, Hinata snapped out of her stupor and immediately hopped into it without even looking back (caused by her embarrassment). As she sat near the window, she spared him a one final glance and shyly waved her hand again, face still crimson.

As the bus started to move, Osamu watched her went farther and farther away, heart still pounding loudly. He sighed.

It looks like he'll be having a hard time sleeping tonight.

* * *

**Extra:**

"That's a very bold thing you did there."

"...What the hell are you doing here?"

"I followed you of course. But seriously dude, just marry her already."

"Just shut up. Don't tell mom and especially dad what you just saw."

"... too bad I already sent them the picture."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another finished chapter for my wonderful readers, especially for those who missed the Miya twins (who we will finally see animated in Season 4! Yay!).
> 
> Once again, thanks a lot for all of your support!
> 
> Bye for now!


	22. A day with Shiratorizawa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's another Shiratorizawa chapter. Enjoy.

22.

* * *

"Hey, how about we go for a karaoke after practice?" the red-haired monster blocker of Shiratorizawa suddenly asked his teammates.

The group of tall volleyball players just exited one of the sports store located near their school, some of them carrying bags with the items they bought for volleyball. Due to a teacher's conference happening right now, the classes for the afternoon session were all canceled. This means students are allowed to go home for the rest of the day, though this actually gives the volleyball players more time for practice.

"Eh? Who has time for that?" Semi responded disapprovingly, his brows furrowed.

"Come on, Semi-semi! We never went out as a group ever since the school year started!"

"We already did it last year."

"But we didn't have the current first years with us back then! And Wakatoshi!" Tendou turned to the stoic third year beside him. "You're coming, right?"

Ushijima just stared at him with a blank expression on his face. "I don't sing."

"It's okay! You can just sit with us like you usually do!"

"..."

"You're really into this, Tendou." Reon commented with a smile on his lips. Beside him, Shirabu just sighed.

"This is going to be troublesome."

"Well, we actually have a lot of free time today, so why not? And besides, this will be our last hangout because the graduation ceremony will be soon!"

"If Ushijima-san's going to come, then I'll go too!" Tsutomu blurted out, face earnest. "There's no way I'll-"

Walking a bit ahead of the group and staring at his senpais, he didn't notice a figure running towards his direction, bumping on his side as the group turned to the left corner of the street. The said figure or rather the girl started falling backwards due to the force of the impact, but Tsutomu immediately held her arms to stop the fall.

"You alright? I'm so sorry-" He halted when familiar, brown eyes stared up at him in an apologetic manner.

"I-I'm okay. It's my fault-Tsutomu-san?!"

"H-Hinata-san!" the mushroom-haired boy quickly straightened his body up with a small blush dusting his cheeks. "Nice to see you!"

"N-nice to see you too!" Hinata greeted back distractedly, her eyes not focused on the boy anymore but on the street, searching for something. When her eyes fell on the other Shiratorizawa players she bowed her head as a greeting, before continuing to look around with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, it's chibi-chan!" Tendou exclaimed in a loud voice, stepping forward. The gingerhead turned her eyes to the players again and her eyes widened.

"Have you-have you guys seen a little girl with orange hair and brown eyes?!" she asked in a loud, frantic voice. The teenage boys all paused and then stared at her from head to toe. Her face reddened.

"I-I'm not talking about myself! I'm talking about my little sister, she's only this tall!" She put a gesture up to her shoulder, causing the boys to nod their heads in understanding.

"Sorry, but we haven't seen any girl like that around here." Semi answered apologetically.

Hinata's shoulders slumped. "Is that so?"

"Uhm, can I ask what happened?"

"We were just shopping a while ago and she suddenly disappeared." she replied. "She was just beside me when I was paying at the counter, and then she was suddenly gone!"

"That's too bad." Tsutomu commented, staring at the gingerhead in worry.

"I'm so sorry Tsutomu-san, but I need to go now... nice to meet you again!"

"Eh? W-wait!"

"Hold up, chibi-chan! We're gonna help!" Tendou suddenly stepped forward, followed by his other teammates. Hinata paused and stared at them in surprise.

"R-really?"

"Well, it's not like we can let you go alone after you told us that." Semi answered, giving her a small smile. They might be rivals on the court but the group of boys are all human enough to help a girl in need.

The panic on the gingerhead's eyes lessened at the news of additional help and she immediately bowed her head to them.

"T-thanks!"

"First, can we see your sister's picture?"

They spent the next minutes on the streets looking and asking people if they have seen a small, orange haired girl.

* * *

"We've looked everywhere on this area, but she's not here."

"Where can a little girl go anyway? Maybe somewhere in a playground?"

"We just went there a while ago. No signs of her."

Hinata looked down sadly, clasping her hands nervously. Semi eyed her from the side, studying her expression.

"Don't worry, we can still find her." he said in a calmer tone, patting her on the head. Tendou also gave her a thumbs up.

"Yup! Besides, we're not yet sure if she's been kidnapped and sold or not, so don't lose hope! Right, Wakatoshi?"

All color drained from Hinata's face as she turned her head up to the red-haired in alarm. _K-kidnapped?! Sold?!_ Thousands of images came to her mind, and her panic grew even more so than before. Her lips trembled as she fought back a whimper.

"But it's a possibility." Ushijima replied bluntly to his teammates question, causing the girl to stiffen. "I've read on the news that a girl was just kidnapped a few weeks ago. It can happen anywhere."

"...Seriously? You're reading the news?"

"...Is that surprising?"

"I think you're the only one who doesn't read the news, Tendou-san."

"Shut up, Shirabu!"

"Oi! Be careful with your words! You're upsetting her even more!" Hayato reprimanded the third years, noticing that the girl has gone very quiet.

"Eh? I'm actually encouraging her." the red-haired defended himself while the libero just gave him a sour look.

"I-I'm fine." Hinata stuttered, her head tilted down. Slowly, her vision turns blurry. "It's my fault anyway. I should... I should have watched her better and hold her hand...but..."

The sudden hitch in her voice made the boys froze on their places, all eyes staring at her trembling figure in alarm.

"B-but what if she was really kidnapped? I-I will never see her again, and it's my fault, and mama will..." Tears completely flowed freely down to her cheeks, and she quickly put her hands on her face, sobbing.

"H-Hinata-san!' Tsutomu flailed his hands in panic, not knowing what to do. He turned his gaze to Shirabu, who just stared back at him with troubled eyes.

"Uh-oh. You made her cry." Taichi commented in wary, staring at Tendou and Ushijima. The latter's mouth dropped open.

"W-Wakatoshi, you made her cry!" the red haired middle blocker whispered loudly to his friend, who just looked as uncomfortable as him.

"Did I?" Their captain just said, eyes wider than usual.

"You're both terrible." Reon just commented, shaking his head. Beside him, Semi noticed the stares that the other people were giving their group, and he turned pale. _Great! They now think that we're bullying a girl!_

"Here." To their surprise, it was Shirabu who moved first to comfort the girl as he handed her his handkerchief. "Stop crying. We're not yet done finding your sister."

The gingerhead turned her blurry gaze at him as she took the small piece of cloth from his hand. Shirabu just coughed and turned his face away in embarrassment. "Wipe your tears. Everybody's looking."

"S-sorry..."

"Aggh!" Tsutomu suddenly yelled in alarm as he put his hands on his pocket to answer his ringing phone. Looking at the screen, his eyes grew larger than before. "C-Coach Saitou!"

"Oh, shoot. We forgot about practice."

"I wonder what kind of punishment coach will give us."

"H-hello, coach?" the dark-haired first year puts the phone on his ear with a slight wince. "Sorry if we're not yet there, we're just helping on something-" he paused as the person on the other line started speaking. "Hinata-san? Yes, I have her number-"

Slowly, the anxious look on his face disappeared replaced by a look of surprise as he listened more.

"Eh? Really?" He then turned his stare at Hinata, who just gave him a look of confusion.

"What's the matter?" Shirabu asked his kohai.

"Guys, we all need to go back to the gym. Now."

* * *

_Almost an hour ago..._

"Uhm... I think that kid's been following us for a while, Washijou-sensei..." Coach Saitou informed the older man beside him, who just raised his eyebrow.

"What kid?" he asked, face in its usual frown. The glasses-wearing coach just smiled nervously and gestured at his back, and that's when the old man heard some small patter of steps following behind them. He decided to look.

A small girl of about seven, with a familiar bright, orange hair and a pair of big brown eyes was staring at the two adults anxiously, her eyes almost glassy. It's something that made him completely stop on his tracks.

"What is it, little kid?" he asked, tone different from his usual ones. Coach Saitou also halted and turned around, looking rather relieved that the old man didn't scare the little kid away.

"D-do you know how to get to the police station?" the girl's question surprised both adults, as they both blinked their eyes down at her in bewilderment.

"What are you going to do at the police station?" the younger coach asked kindly, sitting down to the girl's level.

"I'm lost." the little gingerhead responded almost tearfully. "I cannot find nee-san... and Mama told me that if I don't know my way, I should go to the police."

"Well, that's actually the right thing to do. You're a smart kid." Coach Saitou responded, nodding approvingly. "But we can help you as well. Can I know your name?"

"Hinata Natsu." the girl responded, and the two coaches stared at her in realization.

"I knew you look familiar... is your nee-san named Hinata Shouyou?" Coach Washijou suddenly asked, and Natsu turned to him hopefully.

"Yes, ojii-chan. Do you know my nee-san?"

The old man sighed and nodded his head, before turning to the man beside him.

"Call Tsutomu."

* * *

"Natsu!"

After entering the gymnasium, the gingerhead middle blocker immediately broke into a run upon seeing a similar hair color of her own standing just beside the Shiratorizawa coaches. The small owner of the said hair quickly spun her head around, then smiled brightly and run towards the door.

"Nee-san!"

She quickly thrown herself to her big sister's arms, and they hugged each other tightly as the volleyball player cried in relief.

"I'm so worried! Where have you been, you little shrimp?!"

"I went to buy an ice cream!"

"Ice cream? I told you to wait until we finished shopping, didn't I? What if you got kidnapped, huh?"

"...Sorry nee-san. I promised I won't do it again..."

From the side, the male volleyball players just watched the exchange with relief on their faces.

"Wow, they really do look alike, aren't they?" Tendou said in fascination, eyes blinking owlishly at the two gingerheads. "No need to imagine what she would like when she grows up!"

"C-cute." Tsutomu commented, his cheeks pink.

"You, guys," Coach Saitou said, and the players all stiffened as the coaches went to their side. Coach Washijou's expression is quite unreadable, which frightens them even more. "should have at least called to tell us what you've been doing."

"S-sorry!" some of the boys exclaimed in apology, and the younger coach just sighed.

"But seriously, it's a good thing you have met Hinata Shouyou while you're outside. Otherwise, it will be longer before we can return her sister."

"How did she come here, coach?"

"It's quite a long story..."

"Coach!"

They all turned their heads to see the two siblings bowing their heads to them.

"Thank you for taking care of my sister! I'm deeply indebted to both of you for all my life!" the female middle blocker expressed her gratitude loudly.

"Thanks, ojii-chan!" Natsu exclaimed, running towards the old coach who just patted her on the head (fondly). Her sister and the volleyball boys blinked their eyes at them in surprise.

"Wow, it's the first time I've seen such a soft look on his face." Taichi whispered not so loudly-which the stern man unfortunately heard as he glared back at the poor boy. Natsu then turned her stare to the other players, and her mouth parted in awe upon seeing the team captain.

"It's Japan!" she mouthed excitedly, pointing at him. Ushijima just tilted his head to the side, looking confused.

"Japan?"

"It's what nee-chan called you! We saw you at the magazine at home!"

Hinata's face turned red in embarrassment. "W-well, he represents Japan so I called him that!"

"Whoa, so Wakatoshi is popular even with the kids." Tendou said, waving his hands at the small girl. "Hello there, chibi number 2!"

"Your hair looks so weird!" Natsu pointed out to him, eyes wide. "Is it real?"

"Eh? Of course it is." the tall boy answered, surprisingly not offended. "I have the coolest hair ever!"

"Wow! It has the same hair color as my barbie doll at home!"

"Barbie doll?!"

"Pfft."

"Don't laugh, Taichi!"

"Nii-san, your hair looks like a mushroom!" she turned to Tsutomu this time, who just gawked at her in disbelief. Reon and Semi covered their mouths to stiffle their laughs. Her eyes then turned to Shirabu, who stood anxiously waiting for her comment.

"Your hair looks so nice." she suddenly said much to their surprise. She turned her gaze back and forth between him and her sister who was just standing beside the boy. "Do you like nee-san?"

"Huh?"

"Natsu!" Hinata immediately knelt down and covered her sister's mouth. She then turned to the Shiratorizawa's setter apologeticaly. "I'm so sorry! She asks that question everytime I'm with a boy! Don't mind her!"

"...okay."

Coach Washijou suddenly cleared his throat, jolting everyone from their places. "I hate to cut this off but we're already running late for practice." he said, eyes stern. "You all better get ready."

"Ushijima-san, you're playing too?" Hinata asked the Shiratorizawa captain, seeing as he already started to move. Tendou answered for him.

"The third years were asked to help the first years and second years, so we're here!" he announced. "Hey, since you're here as well, why don't you join us too, chibi-chan?"

"Eh? Is that okay?"

"I want to see Japan playing too!" Natsu said loudly. "Please, nee-san! Can I stay and watch?"

"But Natsu, this is not my school. I doubt Coach Washijou will even allow me to-"

"Ojii-chan!" Before Hinata can stop her, the little midget already started running towards the old man. She watched in horror as Natsu eagerly tugged on his jersey while smiling brightly. "Ojii-chan! Can I stay and watch nee-san and Japan play? Please?"

A moment of silence greeted her plea and all players watched in anticipation as the old man just stared down at the orangette with a straight face.

"... I don't mind."

"Yey!"

Hinata's jaw dropped in disbelief while Tendou just gave a loud laugh.

"This is funny, but I think coach likes your sister more than you!"

"No kidding! And I don't think he even likes me!"

"Is he really Coach Washijou?" Hayato asked warily, eyes wide. Beside him, Coach Saitou just laughed softly.

"Well, he has a soft spot for little girls. It's because he has a granddaughter."

"You mean that's why he let Hinata-san attend the training camp before?" Tsutomu asked.

"Who knows? Maybe." the younger coach just smiled meaningfully, staring ahead.

* * *

"Go, nee-san!" From the bench and sitting on Coach Washijou's lap (this didn't surprise them anymore), Natsu yelled her support.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with a never-ending rally of spikes and receives. Despite practicing with a different team, Hinata blended well on the team's dynamics, effectively using her role as a decoy even though Kageyama is not around. When she scored another point from a quick set, she turned to the boy beside her with sparkling eyes.

"Your tosses are amazing, Shirabu-san!" she complimented, causing the boy to stare at her with wide eyes.

Sure, he's aware that because of his sets, their team was able to score a lot of points by fully utilizing their strongest player. However, no one has ever said it to his face as straightforward as this, which is why he felt slightly overwhelmed. Considering also that it's a praise from a player of a rival team (who just defeated them last Spring), he found his satisfaction weird.

"Thanks." he muttered softly, not knowing what to say.

He admits that he doesn't like her (and her genius partner) at all before, but now...

"Nice set, Shirabu-san!"

 _She has a nice smile._ He decided, smiling faintly.

* * *

"Shirabu-san."

Before the two siblings went home that day, the older gingerhead approached him, holding something in her hand. He paused from wiping the sweat on his face, staring at the girl with a confused look.

"Uhm, thanks for what you did earlier, especially for the help in finding my sister." she started, smiling shyly. "About your handkerchief, I promise I'll return it to you tomorrow."

He blinked. _Ah._

"Just keep it." he answered shortly, almost uncomfortably. "It would be troublesome for you to travel here just to return it. Just keep it with you, I don't mind."

"But it's yours! And besides, I don't mind going here again just for that- it's nothing compared to the help you all gave me today!"

Staring at the determined look in her eyes, he just sighed. "Fine. You can return it to me the next time we meet."

"But that would be on the next tournament."

"Exactly." he continued, gaze suddenly serious. "And on that next time, I promise that we will not lose again."

A surprised look appeared on Hinata's face, before a smile slowly appeared. It was so warm that the boy almost took a step back.

"Sure! But we will not lose too!" she exclaimed, cheeks aglow.

It took a moment before he was able to return the calm expression on his face, and he nodded his head in acknowledgement. Turning around to return to the bench, he pointedly ignored Tsutomu's burning gaze on his back and Tendou's amused laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the feeling when you have something on your mind but you don't know how to start writing it? Well, that's what's happening to me in the past few weeks, which eventually led to this late updates. I'm not even sure if this chapter is still good, but well...I'm so sorry. :-(
> 
> About this chapter- this is an idea that I've read from some of my readers so I decided to give it a try. Also, please note that this is not going to be a ShirabuXHina fic as well (she already has too many!), but I just wanted to show a little more interaction between the Shiratorizawa boys and our little sunshine. I think the Shirabu interaction here is similar to that of Kunimi's in chapter 13, with them realizing the effect the little crow has, especially her smiles.
> 
> That's all for now, I think. I'll be working on the next chapter, so please watch out for that as well.
> 
> Again, thanks to all my wonderful readers, especially to all your comments and kudos. Mwahh!


	23. Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an accident occurs in a match, and three feelings fought for one.

 

* * *

23.

* * *

One more point.

Only one more point and they'll win.

At the final moments of the third set, the players on the court were already tired beyond belief, with sweat dripping down their bodies and their thighs already getting numb due to exhaustion. As the ball continues to be spiked and received from each side, the tension continues to rise and no one is willing to give up, because they knew that right now, there's no room for any kind of mistakes.

"One touch!" a middle blocker from the opposite team yelled after one of Tanaka's spike hits his hand, and their libero immediately moved.

"Nice receive!"

As the ball was sent back to the setter, Hinata watches how each spiker moves on the court, trying to gauge who will be the one to do it and where the ball could possibly go.

 _That number five took a step back but he did not actually back down._ She thought as the ball went up into the air and was sent to the center of the court. She tensed as one of the opponent spikers jumped to the front, hand ready for a spike, but as the guy she's staring at earlier suddenly jumped from the back, she paused a bit. She then gave herself a mental pat.

_I called it!_

With a spring on her feet, she jumped at the same time as her blonde teammate, palms high and open to block the incoming back attack.

She wanted to touch the ball at least with the tip of her fingers- to kill its momentum in preparation for a good receive. But then, this is not what happened.

It might be due to exhaustion or the timing, but the direction of the ball is lower than expected, going straight to the space in between her arms or more particularly, her face. The guy seems to have realized it too as his expression turned into horror, but it was already late- too late, as the ball hit her on the forehead directly.

And then her body hit the court's floor in a loud, sickening thud, causing everyone's heart to stop.

* * *

It all happened so fast.

Just a few seconds ago, Hinata was jumping beside Tsukishima as they tried to block the opponent's spike. The next moment, she was lying with her back on the floor, quiet and unmoving.

Kageyama stared at her seemingly unconscious body in a mute shock, his eyes wide in disbelief. His other teammates are no better as they all have the same reaction. They were all unable to move, actually everyone was- even the announcers and the audience seem to have gone mute.

"HINATA!"

Surprisingly, it was Tsukishima who recovered first, as he immediately knelt down beside her body with his eyes wide in panic. With trembling hands, he shook her on the shoulder and patted her cheeks gently.

"Oi Hinata, wake up...wake up." he said, voice slightly shaking. "Please..."

"I-Im awake… O-ouch…" The blonde middle blocker gave a sigh of relief upon hearing her voice, but his eyes remain watchful. She didn't lose her consciousness, which is a good sign, but the girl has a dazed look on her face after the fall.

"S-Shouyou!"

"Hinata!"

The other Karasuno members finally broke from their stupor and immediately rushed forward, eyes filled with nothing but worry. The other team just stared in silence, as sounds of whispers and gasps started to spread among the audience.

"Oh, no! What happened?!"

"Is she alright? Poor girl."

"But she's awake! Can she still play?"

"This is why girls shouldn't join a men's volleyball team!"

"I-It looks like we have an accident here." the announcer finally spoke after a few moments of silence, eyes alert on the scene below. "Hinata Shouyou, the other half of the Karasuno's first year combo, was almost knocked out by a spike from the opposite team!"

"The game will be paused while we wait for the medical team to arrive." his partner added. "And I have to say that this is surely hard for Karasuno, as Hinata is one of the major scorers for their team. We hope she'll be alright!"

Back to the team, Coach Ukai took Tsukishima's place, carefully asking the decoy some questions to check for any signs of concussion. The other Karasuno players surrounding them just stayed silent, though their panicked eyes held question.

"Okay, please tell me your name and school. "

"M-my name? I'm Hinata Shouyou and I'm a first year at Karasuno Highschool."

"Do you know where we are right now?"

"… at the Tokyo stadium? We're currently playing at the Nationals, right?"

"What's the last thing you remembered?"

"I was blocking a spike…"

"Move!"

The group of paramedics finally arrived, quickly followed by Kiyoko and Takeda-sensei, and all of them moved back in a wide berth. One of them knelt down beside the girl, checking her head.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm a bit dizzy…"

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Her memory's fine, sir." Coach Ukai piped in. "I already asked her some questions and she remembers everything."

"Thank you for doing that." The medic responded, eyes still studying the girl's state. "However, she still needs to come with us for an examination. We need to make sure that she doesn't have any concussion."

"Huh? But the game-"

"We will be fine." Sugawara answered, eyes soft and sympathetic. "Don't worry about us. Please take care of yourself first."

"We're just one point away." Nishinoya added, giving her a smile. "We'll surely win this."

With a sad face, the girl just nodded her head, before wincing at the sudden headache that follows. Making a move to stand up, she staggered on her place but was immediately steadied by Kageyama, who was hovering by her side. The medics suggested that she should lie down on the stretcher so they can carry her out, to which she reluctantly agreed.

The Karasuno team watched as the medics moved out of the court, as whispers continuous to spread everywhere. Kageyama made a move to follow them, but a sudden tap on his shoulder halted his steps.

"Kageyama, you should stay here to finish the game." Coach Ukai said, eyes grim. "We still have a match."

"But Hinata..." He glanced at the gym's door with hesitation, and his teammates all mirrored his expression.

"Don't worry, Yachi and I will look for her. Just stay here on the court to finish your game." Takeda-sensei stopped him. "You still have one more point to go and once you're done, you can immediately follow us."

"O-okay..."

Takeda-sensei gave the other players a reassuring smile, despite the tension. "Everything will be fine. You know Hinata- she's a strong girl."

"Sensei's right." Daichi announced, trying to boost the team's morale. "Hinata will not like it if we played poorly because of her, so we need to finish this quickly. Let's do this for her sake."

"Yeah, right." Tanaka gave a short laugh. "She has a very thick head, so I'm sure she'll be fine. Just one ball won't damage her brain; she has received a lot more than that during practice games."

Tsukishima sighed. "She doesn't have a brain to begin with, so I doubt it'll do much difference."

Yamaguchi turned to him, horrified. "Tsukki!-" But soft laughter followed the blonde's statement, coming from the second years. Even Kageyama since to have calmed down a bit while Daichi and Sugawara just gave a small smile.

"They will be fine." Coach Ukai said to Takeda-sensei. The teacher gave him a soft nod of agreement, before he said goodbye once more to the team and headed out. The coach clapped his hands loudly, gaining the attention of his team.

"Okay, listen up! Let's finish this in one go so we'll be clear! You can do it, right?"

"Yes, coach!"

As the players all went back to their positions, Coach Ukai sat down beside Shimizu, sighing deeply.

Despite the earlier reassurances, he can't help but feel uncertain and worried about the incident. Seeing how she fell, he hopes that this is not going to be serious, because it will surely affect the team greatly.

_Please be alright..._

* * *

"S-Shouyou..."

From where they are sitting, Kenma and Kuroo watched in worry as the medical team carried the girl's body out of the gym after the hard hit on her head. The game was paused for a bit, and everyone in the audience can't help but talked loudly about what has transpired.

"Oh, shit..." the Nekoma captain commented, and he slowly glanced at the pudding head beside him. Noticing how unusually tense his friend look with his fists gripping his pants tightly, he made a decision. He glanced at the court one last time before turning to his friend.

"Do you want to check on her?" he asked, immediately gaining the attention of the setter. Kenma bit his lip and nodded his head, and they stood up in unison and gathered their things to get out of the court. Kuroo knew that Karasuno will surely win this game, so there's no need to finish watching it.

When the two Nekoma players arrived at the clinic, the gingerhead girl was nowhere to be seen. However, sitting on one of the waiting chairs with a face of pure anxiety is Karasuno's tiny manager, who just greeted them with a small, wavering smile.

From one of the rooms, Takeda-sensei just went out, eyes blinking in surprise at the two visitors.

"Oh... are you here to visit Hinata?"

"Yes, sensei. We were in the audience and we saw it happened." Kuroo said, watching as Kenma took a seat beside Yachi. "Will she be alright?"

"We hope so." the four-eyed teacher responded worryingly. "The doctors said that she doesn't have any concussion, but we still have to look if she will be allowed to play for tomorrow's game."

"That sounds... bad."

"Yeah. And I'm sure she will not like it if that will happen."

Glancing at his watch, Takeda-sensei turned to the first year manager. "Yachi, I need to go back to the court to tell Ukai about the news. Will you be alright if I leave you alone for a bit?"

"Y-yes..."

"We'll be staying with her." the Nekoma captain suggested, which earned him a grateful look from the dark-haired teacher. Once he was out, Kuroo flopped down on the other seat beside Yachi, staring silently ahead.

A sniffle from the girl beside him caught his attention, and he looked on with wide eyes as the blonde manager started crying softly. He exchanged a wary expression with Kenma, who just shook his head, telling him to handle the situation as he has no clue on what to do as well. The bedhead just sighed.

"Uhmm... I'm sure she will be fine." the dark-haired captain started, forcing a smile as the teary-eyed girl turned her attention to him. Yachi hiccupped and looked at him silently at first, before deciding to respond a few moments later.

"B-but the fall looks so bad." she said, voice wavering. "What if it's more serious than we have expected, and she will never ever play again? T-the whole team will be sad and-"

"Whoa, whoa, let's not go over there yet." Kuroo immediately stopped her agitated speech, a bit unnerved. "Your teacher said that she doesn't have any concussion, so I'm sure she will be fine. And besides, this happens to a lot of athletes and most of them were able to recover quickly, so there should be no worry. We need to be positive."

The blonde manager became silent for a few moments, before she started to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Y-you're right. I need to stay positive, just like what the team is doing." Glancing at the captain, she gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."

The bedhead captain paused for a while before giving her a smile of his own, expression relieved. "I'll be getting some drinks from the machine. Want to come with me? It will help you relax a bit."

"B-but..."

"Kenma can watch over chibi-chan here. Don't worry."

The puddinghead just gave his friend an odd look, which the captain just returned with a wink.

For several minutes, Kenma was left sitting alone, eyes observing every part of the room as a form of distraction. For the first time, he has no desire to bring the phone out of his pocket to play a game- being too worried and nervous to do so.

Suddenly, the curtain being used to hide one of the beds was slid open, revealing a nurse stepping away from his friend's bed. The nurse gave him a nod of approval, and the pudding head slowly moved towards Hinata's bed with a stare of worry.

Her face looks so peaceful as she sleeps, and the only ugly thing he can see is that bandage on her forehead which is where the ball must have hit. Seeing her so still and quiet is really unnerving.

_Why is she unconscious? She's just awake a while ago…_

Slowly, he took her hand with his, squeezing it a bit tightly.

"Wake up, Shouyou." he said wistfully.

Suddenly, he felt a small squeeze on his palm, and he watched on with wide eyes as her brows started to furrow.

"S-Shouyou?"

Her lids slowly opened and she blinked her eyes several times, before producing a groan of discomfort. Turning her head to the side, she blinked her eyes in confusion upon seeing the pudding head staring at her with relief on his eyes.

"K-Kenma?" she asked bewilderedly.

"Are you okay? I thought you were sleeping."

"I'm not asleep…I'm just feeling a bit... dizzy." she responded uncomfortably. "I didn't know you were watching…I must have looked very pathetic, aren't I?"

"You still did a great job. Accidents like that always happen, Shouyou." He said, sighing. "Don't think too much about it."

"…okay." Hinata said, giving him a small, soft smile. She squeezed his hands tighter. "I'm sorry if I worried you. And thank you for visiting me, Kenma."

The Nekoma setter turned his gaze away, his cheeks pink. "I'll always be watching you, Shouyou…"

"Hinata?" Yachi's voice suddenly came in, and both Hinata and Kenma (who immediately lets go of her hand) stared at the door to see that the young manager and the Nekoma captain have returned. The blonde girl's expression is very happy, as she quickly run towards the bed and gave the other girl a hug.

"Are you okay now? I'm so worried!"

"I'm fine, Yachi-san! My head is spinning a bit, but it's nothing serious. I just don't like this bandage on my forehead."

"That's where the ball hit you! Don't touch it too much, Hinata."

"Oh, okay."

Kenma gave Kuroo a studious look, in which he returned with a raised brow.

"What? I just gave you an alone time with her."

"…"

A series of loud footsteps can be heard from the outside, and the two boys no longer need to guess on from whom they are.

"Shouyou!"

"Hinata!"

The Karasuno players suddenly appeared on the door, most of them panting due to the exhaustion. They haven't even changed from their uniforms yet.

Seeing as the girl was sitting on the bed, most of them smiled and gave a sigh of relief. Nishinoya and Tanaka immediately went near her, followed closely by Kageyama and the others.

"Are you alright now?"

"Is your head still hurting?"

"Don't make us worry like that again, boke!"

"I'm fine now, guys!

The third years and Coach Ukai also noticed the two Nekoma players, and immediately greeted them.

"Kenma here is so worried about chibi-chan, so we came over." Kuroo explained, earning a slight glare from his friend.

"Ah, you guys need to give her some space." The doctor stated kindly, suddenly appearing without a warning. The surprised players immediately moved back, giving the white-clad guy a way towards the girl's bed. "How are you feeling right now, little lady?"

"Uhm… better than before, I guess." Hinata started. "I'm no longer feeling any headache and my dizziness is almost gone. Can I go home now?"

"We're already done examining you, so it's okay." The doctor said, examining her bandage. "I'm going to prescribe some medicines so your condition will completely improve. It's really lucky that you don't have any concussion, otherwise, I won't be able to allow you to play."

"So you mean I can still play for tomorrow's match?" the gingerhead asked happily, and the old man hummed in approval.

"Yes, but you will need to take the rest for the whole night and the morning after. No exercises or any extraneous activities are allowed to avoid any further injury."

"Yes, sir."

"And if ever you experienced any headache and dizziness again, please tell your advisors immediately, okay?" he then turned to Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai. "You will need to watch her closely too."

"Got it, doctor."

When all the instructions from the doctor has been provided, the team prepared to move out of the room, with some of them instructed to go ahead first to get their things. Hinata stood in between Kageyama and Coach Ukai, both of them guiding her just in case she'll suddenly stagger. She waved her hands to the Nekoma players as the two started to go to the opposite direction, and they also said their goodbyes to the Karasuno players who thanked them warmly.

From the group, the tiny blonde manager came forwards to the two, or rather to Kuroo, face shy but thankful.

"Kuroo-san, thank you for your help earlier." She started, a demure blush on her small face. The Nekoma captain blinked down his dark eyes at her in surprise, before a Cheshire smile appeared on his face. He patted her on the head fondly.

"You're welcome, kitten."

"Yachi-san!" Yamaguchi suddenly called, looking uncomfortable. "Coach said we need to hurry!"

"Oh, s-sorry!" Yachi waved her hand again to Kuroo and Kenma, before turning away to run towards her team.

From the side, Kenma gave his friend an unreadable look. "…smooth, huh?"

The bedhead just blinked his eyes _innocently_. "…what?"

"…nothing."

* * *

It was a very early morning when Tsukishima decided to get up from his bed and head to the restroom.

Making his way through the hallway, his attention was caught by the light coming from the kitchen and the sounds of someone moving inside. Thinking how early it is for the managers and Takeda-sensei to be awake this early, he made his way towards its door and peeked. He then paused.

"What are you doing?" he mouthed confusedly. A certain gingerhead was busy tiptoeing from her place, arm raise as she was trying to open one of the kitchen cabinet's doors. The girl whipped her head at the sound of his voice, obviously caught off guard, and Tsukishima opened his mouth again to speak, before his eyes widened.

Quickly, he moved forwards and put his arms around her body (particularly her head) protectively, shielding her completely from the empty food containers which fell down from the opened cabinet. He winced at the slight pain on the back of his head, but his worried eyes turned to the girl he's holding on his arms.

"You alright?" he asked, watching as the girl slowly opens her eyes to look up to him. For a moment, the time seems to have stopped as they both stared at each other's eyes, unable to move. Gradually, warmth began to spread on their cheeks as realization settled in, and Hinata was the first one to panic as she squeaked like a mouse. Tsukishima immediately lets her go.

"I-I'm fine!" she exclaimed in embarrassment, before her expression turned to worry. "H-how about you? Are you alright? I'm so sorry, this is my fault!"

"I'm fine." He answered, trying to remain cool. His brows furrowed as he gave her a sudden, scolding tone. "What are you doing here at this time of the day? The doctor told you to take a rest."

The girl's cheeks redden once more as she looked away from him, shifting her foot. "I'm…hungry…"

His eyebrow raised. "What?"

"I barely ate anything last night since I went to bed early. I woke up suddenly feeling hungry, and I want something to eat."

"…Why didn't you ask for someone's help? You know that you should avoid getting into accidents again, right?"

"I don't want to disturb anyone from their sleep." She muttered, and then turned her pleading eyes to him. "Please, Tsukki."

Staring at her cute expression, the boy just sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll cook."

"Eh? Really? You can cook?"

"Am I going to offer to do it if I'm not?"

"Whoooah! You're so cool!"

"Just stop talking, please."

From where she was sitting, Hinata watched in awe and anticipation as the blonde boy started to make their food. This is definitely a strange sight, and she couldn't help but smile fondly at the boy's caring gesture.

When Tsukishima was done and has put down two plates of omurice on top of the table, the decoy's eyes widened in shock.

"Wow! This looks so good!"

"Just eat already. I can hear your stomach growling."

The two softly give their thanks, before digging in. While the blonde ate his food slowly and without a sound, the gingerhead was shoving the food into her mouth in a quick pace, all the while mouthing him praises.

"This is sooo good! Did you really make this?"

"Ne, Tsukishima. What's your recipe?"

"I wouldn't mind having this one every morning!"

"You better keep your voice down. You're going to wake everyone up." Tsukishima said, slightly annoyed.

"Sorry!" she turned the volume of her voice down a bit, smiling at him apologetically. "I just can't help it. The food you cooked is amazing."

"Don't tell this to anyone else." He muttered, now embarrassed. "Even Yamaguchi."

Hinata paused and stared at his face for a while, studying his expression. She then let out a small giggle, which earned the attention of the blonde-haired boy.

"What's so funny?"

"Tsukki… you're such a tsundere."

"…huh?"

"You're acting so stuck-up and annoying on the outside." The taller middle blocker gave her a frown, which amused her all the more. "But on the inside, you're actually loving and caring. You just don't want people to know."

His frown grew and he scoffed, obviously embarrassed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"No, you definitely are!" she laughed once more, and Tsukishima has to fight an urge to squeeze her cheeks.

"You're annoying."

"But you know what." She tilted her head to the side and gave him a close-eyed smile. "I actually like this side of Tsukki."

_Ba-dump._

Tsukishima clutched the front of his shirt at the sudden loud thump, the speed of his heartbeat quickly rising. His cheeks redden once more as he stared at her in a speechless manner, completely off guard at her words.

_Shit._

Oblivious to what the boy has been going through at the moment, the girl continues to finish her food happily.

After a few seconds of calming himself down, Tsukishima breathed deeply. His eyes then turned to her in defeat, though his expression is soft.

"I really find it annoying on how I'm acting this way when it's you." He started, tone a bit hesitant. "Maybe because I actually-"

"Huh? You're both already awake?"

From their seats, the two first years whipped their heads to stare at the door and saw Nishinoya standing there looking at the two in surprise. The second year's eyes then turned towards the food they're eating, and his eyes shone.

"Ohh… that looks so delicious! Who cooked that?"

Hinata turned to her senpai proudly. "Tsukishima did!"

"Really? Do you still have some?"

"I only cooked for two." Tsukishima answered, suddenly irritated. "And I'm not doing it anymore."

"Huh? But why?! I want some too!"

"Senpai." The blonde turned to the shorter boy with the trademark smirk on his face. "Are you sure you rather have my food rather than Shimizu-senpai's cooking? She'll be hurt, you know."

A thunder seems to have struck the libero, as he slowly backs away. "Y-you're right. Kiyoko-san's food is the only thing I need. I shouldn't disappoint her."

"You're already leaving?" Hinata asked him, staring curiously at his almost empty plate.

"I'm full." He responded, refusing to meet her eyes. "And I need to go."

"Uhm, okay. Oh, thanks for the food, by the way!"

He did not give any more response as he already exited the kitchen, heading towards the restroom. He closed his eyes in exasperation and face-palmed, cheeks pink.

_That was close._

* * *

"Uhm, excuse me."

Kageyama and Hinata both stopped from their tracks and looked back. They were both on their way towards the court (the others already went ahead of them) when a male voice suddenly called out from their back.

The Karasuno setter narrowed his eyes upon seeing the same guy who spiked and knocked down their female player. The decoy on the other hand, just blinked her eyes in confusion at the uncomfortable looking guy who is refusing to meet her eyes.

"Is there something you need?" Hinata asked, and the boy slowly looked at her with a guilty look on his face.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday!" the boy said in a loud voice, bowing his head towards the girl and surprising the two crows. Several of the other athletes and visitors were staring at the exchange, and Hinata's face turned red at the attention.

"It-it's okay! You do not need to apologize!" She said, flailing her hands in the air in panic. The other player stood straight and stared at her sadly.

"But it's my fault, so I really need to apologize. If not for my spike, you could have stayed until the end of the game and you will not have that bruise on your forehead."

He was looking at her now bandaged-free forehead, which is showing a faint bruise. The girl unconsciously touches it before giving the guy in front of her a reassuring smile.

"Accidents happen all the time in volleyball so I don't think it's your fault. I'm already fine, so please don't worry."

"…Are you already allowed to play? I'm so worried that you won't be."

"Yup, the doctor already gave me the permission! Thanks for your concern!"

"I see." He looked rather relieved by her words as he sighed deeply. Suddenly remembering the thing he's hiding on his back, his cheeks turned pink. "Actually, I also wanted to give you something…"

"Give me something?" the gingerhead asked confusedly. Holding on to a small box, the shy boy extended his hand to give it to her, and Hinata took the box with a surprised look on her face.

"Those are cookies that my mom made. Please receive it as my token of apology." He said, watching as the girl opens the box and emitted a sound of awe. She turned her head up to him and beamed brightly, making his face flushed even more.

"This is not necessary, but thanks!"

"N-no problem." He responded, looking on everywhere but her pretty face. His eyes then caught the gaze of the glaring dark-haired guy behind the gingerhead, and he froze in fear.

"Oi Hinata, we need to get going." Kageyama reminded her irritably, scowling at the other guy once more. He's been watching their conversation silently from the side, though he can barely manage. There's nothing really wrong in what the guy was doing with his apology and all, but why is it that he wanted to punch him in the face for looking at her like that? And the cookies! The idiot was actually very happy.

He must have been radiating a very deadly aura as the older boy started to back away, eyes staring at him in fear.

"I-I'm so sorry. I only wanted to say my apology to her, that's all!" he mouthed. "I was not trying to flirt with your girlfriend or anything… so please don't kill me…"

Both Hinata and Kageyama paused, staring at the boy with wide eyes.

"Girlfriend?" the gingerhead asked softly in confusion.

"A-aren't you his-" the guy jolted once more at the glare he's receiving. To save himself, he bowed to them one last time before completely scampering away in a hurry.

The gingerhead watched him disappeared in silence, before turning to the raven-haired boy with her brows furrowed.

"You scared him away."

"Tch. Do you want to spend your time talking to him all day? We have a match you know." The boy replied jealously as both of them resumed walking.

"Uh, you're right. But still Kageyama… you need to fix your face."

"Huh?! My face is normal!"

She just sighed. "I was not even able to correct him. Why is it that everytime we're together, people think that we're a couple?"

His cheeks heated at the thought, which he quickly tried to simmer down. "… who cares? Maybe they will stop bothering you if you say that you're taken."

Hinata looked completely flummoxed. "Are you really suggesting that?"

Kageyama almost slapped his own face for saying those words; his face can no longer hide the blush he's having. "O-of course I'm just joking! Why would I date you?!"

"Huh? Why are you suddenly angry? You suggested and I just asked!" she replied, hackles rising. "And as if I would like to date you too! You're such a mean jerk!"

"What did you just call me? Annoying dumbass!"

"Bakageyama!"

From the side, some bystanders just gave the two arguing pair an odd look, some of them shaking their heads in exasperation.

"That couple is arguing again. They were like that yesterday too."

"But they look good together, aren't they?"

"Youth nowadays…"

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd that's chapter twenty three. How was it?
> 
> This chapter was taken during Nationals of course, and I decided to not name their opponent team (assuming that they've defeated their current opponent team in the manga and proceed to the next round- yeah, it's this team). I also read one of my readers suggesting a scene where Hinata got injured in a match, so I incorporated it here.
> 
> Again, thank you guys for all of your support- I wouldn't make it up to this point without you. See you on the next chapter!


	24. Dare

24.

* * *

"Gwaahh! I lost again?" Hinata Shouyou exclaimed in frustration, staring at her cards in despair. In front of her, Tanaka and Nishinoya gave each other a high five, laughing loudly at their success and at the face of their distraught teammate.

"Bwahaha! That's the fifth time you lost today! You sure have a bad luck, Hinata!"

"That will be the last time! I'll win the next time!"

"Ohh, that's the spirit! Come on, let's start another round!"

"Wow, you're really bad at anything, aren't you?"

"Just shut up, Tsukishima!"

It was a normal day at the school, and the players are all currently at the boy's locker room, some of them playing card games. Practice actually ended very early that day- Coach Ukai has to attend some urgent matters at home while Takeda-sensei has to attend an important faculty meeting, and most of all, Kageyama Tobio is at home, sick (which Tsukishima actually finds very funny because well- idiots don't catch cold), so they all decided to call it a day. The boys were all used to Hinata entering the room just after she changed into her own uniform and she will often be pulled into conversations and games by her senpais. Just like now, as she waited anxiously as Nishinoya shuffles the deck.

"Hey, how about we decide a punishment for the loser of this round?" Nishinoya suddenly suggested. Memories of Shinzen and a certain black cheerleading outfit entered Hinata's mind, and she paled.

"I-is that necessary?"

"That will be fun! What do you say, Hinata?"

"You're not going to make me wear something ridiculous again, aren't you?"

"Why are you talking as if you've lost already? You said you're going to win this time, right?"

"I'm going to win!"

"Shouldn't you all be going home already? The reason we ended the practice early is to have all of you get a rest." Captain Ennoshita said, zipping his bag closed.

"This will be the last round! We'll be going home afterwards, Chikara!" Nishinoya exclaimed as he distributes the card. The dark-haired captain just shook his head, before going towards the door where Kinoshita and Narita are waiting for him.

"Fine. Just make sure that you'll lock up this room properly when you leave, okay?"

"No problem! Bye, Chikara!"

"Bye!"

"We'll be taking our leave too." Yamaguchi announced, waving his hand at Hinata and the two third years. Tsukishima subtly peers at Hinata's cards, before smirking in amusement.

"That looks bad. I wonder how you'll ever win a card game, especially when facing smarter opponents."

"What do you mean by 'smarter', huh? Tsukishima, you bastard!" Tanaka exclaimed, giving his kohai a threatening glare.

"Just go home, Stingyshima!"

Hinata didn't even has a chance to jump at the blonde as the door already closed at her face and amused laughter sounded from the outside. Huffing in annoyance, she frowned at her cards and wilted inside. Because what the blonde said was true, whether she likes it or not.

* * *

In the end, she lost.

The next day, Hinata can barely drag herself forward as she walks through the second year corridor, trying to find one of her teammates.

Just like yesterday, today doesn't seem to be a very lucky day. She got scolded by her teacher for being late in homeroom, she almost failed her English quiz again and most of all-there will be no volleyball practice as the gym will be borrowed for an event and Kageyama Tobio is still not at school (maybe she can visit him during the weekend).

And now, she will be doing something really embarrassing, and she wonders how the blonde will react to it. Why did she agree on doing the dare in the first place? It's not like she doesn't know how ridiculous her senpais could be, but well- it always comes to this. She was just too confident that she'll win yesterday.

The door on one of the classrooms suddenly opened, and she halted upon seeing her target exiting the room with Yamaguchi. For a moment she just stood there, frozen. Is she really going to do it? She can already feel Tanaka and Nishinoya's presence hiding in the background, surely checking if she will really do it or not. Sighing in defeat, she walks towards the two bestfriends' direction, producing all the confidence she can muster.

"T-Tsukishima!"

At her voice, the two second years stopped, and they both turned around to face her. Tsukishima raised his eyebrow at the sight of the blushing girl's face.

"What do you-" he eventually stopped his statement as the girl suddenly grabbed his arm, pulling him away from an equally shocked Yamaguchi.

"Sorry, Yamaguchi! But I'll be borrowing Tsukishima for a bit!"

"S-sure..."

"Where are we going?" the tall middle blocker asked her, in which she just kept quiet. She thought she heard someone snickering in the background, but she doesn't know where it came from as there are several people watching them move.

They soon stopped in one of the empty corridors, just near the staircase, and the gingerhead lets go of his arm while she catches her breath.

"Ok. Aren't you going to tell me why you dragged me here? Alone?" the blonde asked, looking at her in annoyance. Her face started to heat up again and she just stood there, shifting from her place.

"Uhmm... well..." she trailed off, refusing to meet his gaze. Tsukishima studied her expression for a moment, before a teasing smile appeared from his lips.

"Ohhh... are you here to confess your feelings to me?"

That quickly gained her attention, as she immediately turned to him. "W-what? N-no! I mean... y-yes? Sort of! Ugh... this is so hard!"

He paused at that. "... what?"

"Willyougooutonadatewithme?"

"I can't understand what you're saying."

"I mean... what I mean to say is..." she can feel her heart pounding loudly and her face heating more so than before. "W-will you go out on a date with me?"

A complete silence befalls after her statement. She gave him a shy glance and was not surprised at his expression- his eyes are slightly wide and his mouth was open as if he's about to say something. Around them, the air suddenly grew thicker and she swallowed hard. Feeling very perturbed at his silent reaction, she covers her face with her hands and whined in embarrassment.

"Can you-can you already just say no, please? I can't take this anymore!"

Once again, he didn't respond. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before bowing her head towards him. "It was just a dare, so I'm sorry! You can just forget what I said!"

When she straightened up and looked at him, the shocked expression on his face was now gone, replaced by an unreadable one. Thinking it as a sign that she should escape now, she laughed nervously and started to take a step back, slowly turning her body away from him.

"W-well, I can already take your silence as a no. Sorry for disturbing you, you can now go back to lunch. Bye, Tsukishima."

Before she can take another step, a hand stopped her on the shoulder, making her froze. She looked back at the blonde nervously, wondering what he'll do.

"Tomorrow afternoon, 2pm." he said, confusing her. "I'll be waiting for you at the mall, so don't be late."

She continued gaping at him even as he already started to walk away, leaving her alone at the hallway.

"W-wait, I don't understand? Why are we going to meet?"

Tsukishima stopped walking and turned to face her, his lips forming a smirk. "Didn't you ask for a date?"

"Eh?!" she exclaimed, completely flabbergasted. "Y-you're joking, aren't you? Please tell me you're just joking! There's no way you want to go out with me!"

"Hmm... I wonder..." he responded vaguely, before turning his back at her once more. "I'll be waiting. Don't be late."

And in the end she was the one left alone, still shocked at what happened.

_What?_

_Did he just ask me out?_

_Did I just ask him out?_

_Are we really going on a date?!_

She was too caught up on her thoughts that she failed to notice Tanaka and Nishinoya appearing on her side, looking as shocked as their kohai.

"Noya-san... did Tsukishima just... said yes?"

"Y-yeah, he did..." Nishinoya muttered in disbelief. "Is this a bad thing, Ryuu? What did we do?"

"I don't know, Noya-san. We just wanted to see his funny reaction, don't we? Who would have thought..."

"No..."

"What if they started dating after this? What are we gonna do?"

"No, no, no!" Nishinoya suddenly wailed in despair. "We cannot let this happen, Ryuu! We must protect our precious, innocent girl!"

"I know... but what if Hinata actually likes him back?" he then turned to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hinata, you won't be going on this date, right?"

At her silence, Tanaka frowned and turned her around to face him, before recoiling in surprise. "Hi-Hinata! Oi, are you still alive?! Noya-san, she's not breathing!"

* * *

_Are we really going to do this?_

Hinata walks around the mall, heading towards the cinema where Tsukishima said that they should meet. Half of her wanted to back out and just go home, thinking that the blonde is just playing a joke on her- but she knew better that he's not that kind of person. Still, she's confused at his action, which is why she's intending to ask him about it today. He will not be agreeing on this date unless he's obliged to or unless...

She shook her head and tried to erase the thought away. Nope, there's just no way.

After getting off the escalator, she turned to the left side of the mall, going straight towards the ticket booth. She immediately recognizes him, being the tallest guy in the area, and he met her eyes as soon as he recognized her. She flushed a bit at his attention and she automatically fixes her green skirt, feeling conscious all of a sudden. She expected that he'll give her one of his teasing remarks but he just regarded her coolly, his eyes looking at her approvingly.

"Nice outfit."

His word makes her look away shyly, unused to his compliment. She followed him as he started moving towards the entrance.

"W-wait, aren't we going to buy a ticket first?"

"I already bought it." he showed her the two tickets, making her frown a bit.

"You already bought it? But I should also be paying-"

"You can buy the food, so we're even."

"Oh. That's just fair."

After buying two sets of popcorn and soda, the two entered the dark theatre and make their way to the seats. There were only a few people inside, so they decided to go up on one of the highest seats, right in the middle where there's a good view of the screen. Hinata flopped down on her seat while Tsukishima sat on her side, silently sipping on his drink.

As the credits started to roll, the gingerhead suddenly grew nervous, and she quietly whispered to the boy beside her.

"This is not a horror movie, isn't it?"

Tsukishima paused at this, before his lips formed into a teasing smile. "Of course, it is. Why, are you scared?"

"N-no! Not at all." she can feel beads of sweat rolling down her face. "But you could have at least told me."

"Oh, sorry. But I'm the one who bought the ticket, so you don't have the right to complain."

She just pouted her lips and turned her gaze again on the screen, silently fuming. _He's still a jerk!_

* * *

Hinata screamed a total of eight times throughout the whole movie, as Tsukishima has counted. It is something he finds very amusing and very endearing, which what makes this movie more of a comedy for him than a horror. Movies like this don't faze him a bit and he actually thinks that it's not that scary, but the girl beside him can't even watch it silently.

Her reactions are really golden. He finds it funny on how she will lean forward at first to watch a scene, and will almost jump at her seat when a heart pounding scare comes. There were also moments when she will hide her face with her hands and will peek through her fingers, squeaking like a mouse when it gets too frightening. She will also hug one of his arms, squeezing it too tightly and hiding her face in it when the scene is too much for her to handle. She's seemingly unaware of the effect it has on him, as he's fighting hard to stop himself from scooping her into his arms and making her to just stay there.

When the movie has finished, he waited for her to calm down before they both started to make their exit.

"Well, that was fun."

"How is that fun?! I almost had a heart attack."

"Watching you screaming like that is really fun."

"I knew it! You chose that movie so you can make fun of me! You're so mean, Tsukishima!"

"I don't even know that you hate horror films, but I was not surprised."

She just gave a huff. "You must be thinking how coward I was, screaming like that."

"Not really. Facing your fear is not cowardice, it's bravery." he mouthed, making her pause to stare at him in awe. Realizing his statement, Tsukishima just coughed on his hand and moved forward, not saying any more words.

They continued to walk around the mall in silence for several minutes, before the blonde finally turned to the gingerhead. "Where do you want to go next?"

Realizing that they were walking with no particular destination in mind, Hinata paused and stared around. She thought of the places she often went to when she's out of the house.

"Uhm, how about the park? They're selling the best ice cream out there." she suggested in which her companion immediately agreed.

"Okay."

That's when they found themselves sitting on the swings later that afternoon. Tsukishima got himself a strawberry flavored one while Hinata enjoys her vanilla coned ice cream, her feet dangling just a few centimeters from the ground.

Remembering her agenda suddenly, the gingerhead gave the blonde a subtle glance from the side, considering her words.

"Is there something on my face?" the blonde caught her gaze instantly, and she almost drop her cone in shock.

"No, there's nothing." she grew quiet for a moment, hesitating. "Tsukishima... why did you decide to go out with me?"

The taller player met her gaze directly and responded in a cool fashion. "Nishinoya-san and Tanaka-san dared you to do it, right?

"Eh? How did you know?"

_"W-will you go out on a date with me?"_

_From that moment, the time seems to have stopped._

_Tsukishima just stared at the girl in front of him in pure shock, his eyes widening. Did he hear that correctly? No, he's definitely not deaf and he heard her words very clearly and obviously- he doesn't know how to react. Warmth spread from his ears to his cheeks and from inside his chest, he can feel his heart pounding loudly. He opened his mouth to try to speak but just like her earlier, no sounds came out._

_He must have looked very funny because the girl suddenly whined in embarrassment._

_"Can you-can you already just say no, please? I can't take this anymore!"_

_That's when he suddenly heard soft giggles coming from somewhere. Removing his gaze on her face, he started to look around. He then saw the shadows of two people hiding in the upper staircases and looking at their silouhettes, he already knew who they are._

_The feeling he has earlier was suddenly replaced with annoyance, thinking how he has been played by his senpais. Looking at the girl in front of him, it only takes a few seconds before he was able to put two and two together._

_Knowing his senpais, he knew that they only wanted to see his funny reaction to this fake confession, and he finds it very irritating. Hinata seems to be the one greatly affected, as she was still unable to look him in the eyes._

_But, taking note of how adorable she looks with that flushing face and stammering lips, a sudden thought came into his mind._

_He will be getting a revenge on his senpais and he will get something that he secretly wants, so it's like hitting two birds with one stone. Not bad at all._

"So, what you mean to say is that you decided to go out with me so that you can take this as revenge to our senpais because they're both being jerks?" Hinata summarizes, tilting her head to him confusedly.

"Yes." he responded, refusing to add more to her statement.

She furrowed her brows a bit at his confession. "Well... that makes more sense. More sense than what I was thinking..."

"What were you thinking?"

"Just something ridiculous. It's nothing-"

Her words were interrupted as a ball suddenly came flying towards her way, hitting her directly on the forehead. Yelping in shock and pain, she clutches her forehead with both of her hands; her half-eaten ice cream was dropped to the ground.

"Ow, ow..."

"You alright?" Tsukishima just stared at her in a half-worried, half-amused manner. "The ball must have love you so much, it keeps hitting you even outside of practice."

"Just... shut up."

"Sorry!" a little boy of about eight came running towards them, his face in panic. "I'm so sorry for hitting you on the face, nee-san! I hit the ball too hard!"

"It's fine..." the girl tried to smile, despite the slight throb on her forehead. Picking the ball from the ground, she stared at it in realization, her eyes sparkling. "Are you playing volleyball?"

"Yes!"

"Ohhh... can I join?"

Beside her, Tsukishima just stared at her ridiculously. "What are you, a kid?"

"It doesn't matter if it's volleyball!" she responded, before turning to the little boy and smiling brightly. "So, can you let nee-san join?"

The dark-haired boy stared at her with blushing cheeks, nodding his head excitedly. "Of course you can, nee-san! You can be on my team!"

"Okay!" she gave her blonde companion a sheepish smile before taking the little boy's hand, both of them going back to the group of children playing just a few steps ahead.

Tsukishima just stared at her back in annoyance, muttering to himself when she suddenly left him alone. "How childish."

Hinata on the other hand, just spent her time teaching the kids on how to spike and receive the ball properly. Though she was not yet the best player out there, she taught to them all the things she knew, and she was not a bad teacher at all. All the kids are happily following her instructions, and it really warms her heart to see how these kids are enjoying her favorite sports.

"Are you a professional volleyball player, nee-san?" one of the kids asked.

"Nope! Not yet, at least!" she responded joyfully. "But I play volleyball at school and our team is very good. We played at Nationals last year and we've been on the tv!"

"Wow!"

"Amazing!"

"I wanted to be like you when I grow up too!"

"Hehe. I'm not the best player though, and all my teammates are just as amazing." she blushed lightly at their compliments. Picking the ball from the ground, she handed it to the boy next to her. "Here. Give me a toss and I'll show you how to do an amazing spike."

"Okay!"

"Kiseki-kun, just put your hands up and try to block my spike, okay? Can you still remember what I taught earlier?" she turned to the boys at the other side of the net.

"I'll do it!"

As the little boy gave her a toss just a few inches from the net, Hinata jumps to do her spike, hitting the ball loudly. However, she was shocked to see that boy Kiseki has suddenly jumped and eventually blocked her spike, making the ball roll on their side of the court. Staring at the boy in awe, she then saw Tsukishima standing at the other side, his hands still on the boy's waist. She realized that he must have lifted him up to block her attack.

"When you got the correct timing, even an elementary student can stop your spike." Tsukishima said, a smirk on his face. Hinata blinked her eyes at him in surprise, before she gave him a smirk of her own.

"Oh, so you'll be joining us now, aren't you?" she then turned to the kids at her side. "Listen, guys! He's one of my teammates in school and he'll be joining us on our game today! He's really a big meanie, but we will not lose to him, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Who are you calling a big meanie?"

She stuck her tongue out. "You, of course."

* * *

"That was fun!"

The sun is nearly setting when all the kids were called to go home, and the two second years were the only people left on the park. Hinata flopped down again on one of the swings, smiling brightly despite feeling tired. Tsukishima took the swing beside her, grimacing slightly at the state of her clothes. Since they were playing outside, they were surrounded by lots of dirt and dust, but it didn't stop the girl from diving or kneeling on the ground just to get the ball up.

"You're really like a kid." he commented. He expected her to get mad or annoyed at his remarks, but she just laughs softly at this.

"I know. Sorry, it's just that we already missed two volleyball practices in a row, so I got too excited."

"Well, if it's you, I can definitely understand."

She pushes her feet from the ground, making the swing starting to move back and forth. "You know, those kids actually reminded me of myself."

He just raised his eyebrow at that, but didn't comment.

"I only started to know volleyball when I first saw the Little Giant play, and it really inspired me. I only have few of my friends who will agree to play volleyball with me, but they were not there all the time because they have their own club activities and they don't like it very much- so I was often left alone. I usually play on a park like this, practicing till it's almost dark."

As the movement of the swing is starting to get slow, Hinata kept her gaze on the ground, smiling softly. "I never had a real team back then. But when I came to Karasuno, everything has changed for me. I now have actual, amazing and reliable teammates, and it makes me really happy. It includes you, even though you're a bit of a jerk sometimes."

He smiled at that. "Only sometimes?"

"Oh, okay. You're actually a jerk most of the time."

"Wow, that's a quick change of mind."

"But," she started, her gaze still down. "You helped me and Kageyama study for the exam. You bandaged my wound when I was hurt. You cooked me breakfast once when I was hungry. You protected me from some bad guys. You're even giving me compliments every now and then. And you played with the kids a while ago though you said I'm being childish. No matter what everyone will say, you're actually a nice guy."

From the side, Tsukishima was looking at her with a visible blush on his cheeks, and with his heartbeat slowly accelerating. _She's doing it again._

"You also said that you only went out with me as a revenge for our senpais, but I honestly don't mind. I actually had fun today." She finally turned to him, giving him one of her brightest smiles. "So thank you for being with me today, Tsukishima."

That smile did it for him.

For a moment, he just stared at her with his eyes wide and his heart beating loudly at his chest, before his gaze softens. He looked away from her and hid his face with his hand, his lips pressed together in an effort to stop himself from smiling. He gave a big sigh.

Humming softly, Hinata started to push her feet from the ground again, making her feel the breeze as she glided forward. But it didn't last long- as two hands abruptly stopped the swing from moving. She tilted her head up in surprise, seeing as it was Tsukishima who halted the movements, his hands tightly gripping on the chains-or more particularly, on her hands holding the chains. She suddenly felt trapped as he just stared down at her in a manner she has never seen before.

"I want it too."

"...what?"

"Going out with you. I actually want it."

"Eh? B-but you said it's for-"

"That's only a small part of it. You're actually a big reason why."

Her eyes grew big in realization, and she eventually started stammering. "M-me? W-why?"

"Why don't you take a guess?"

And then before she knew it, he was already leaning down, pressing his warm lips on hers. Her breath hitched at his action and she just sat there frozen, unable to move an inch. She immediately remembered the first time they 'kissed', and she can definitely feel that this is something very different from that.

It only lasted for a few seconds before he finally pulled back, eyes staring at her warmly. He removed his grip on her hands and moved a step back, just standing there in front of her.

She just kept staring at him back in a pure silence, her mouth open, before her face turned so red to the point that steams are coming out of her ears.

"Y-you..." she stuttered in disbelief."Y-you j-just k-kissed..."

"Do you want me to do it again?"

"H-hold up! You're really confusing me today!" she exclaimed, putting her hands to her face to simmer down her blush. She breathed deeply to calm down her racing heart, before facing him again.

"Y-you like me?"

"Obviously. I wouldn't ask you for a date and kiss you if I do not."

"B-but why? I thought you hated me..."

"When did I ever say that? You're very annoying, I know. An annoying, adorable idiot. I can't help myself."

Silence lingered around them after his words, and Hinata can't think of anything to say. The darkness also started to surround them, and Tsukishima looked at the time and sighed.

"It's getting dark. Let's go home."

"T-Tsukki..." she started, biting her lip in nervousness. "I..."

"Don't give me an answer yet if you're not ready." The megane interrupted her, his tone calm and understanding. "I'm not really expecting anything and besides, we need to focus on our team for now."

"Yeah... I know..."

Hinata can't remember how she managed to return home that night, as her mind was still on a float-like state when she entered her room. Finding the comfortable presence of her favorite place, she immediately climbed up her bed and buried her face on her pillow, her heart confused.

First, Osamu and now Tsukishima.

There were already two of them. How can she possibly choose?

She gave a soft whine and pull the blanket over her head, burying herself into the comfort of her bed completely.

* * *

Oh, Hinata.

If you only knew that there's not just two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys. I'm finally back from my long days of sleep.
> 
> Honestly, I was hit by the first wave of writer's block, so I wasn't able to write anything. Gomen ne. :-(
> 
> I also started to think about the future of this story, and I've decided that I'll be ending it soon.
> 
> Before I realized it, this fic has already become a very fluffy, romantic one, so the ending will be like such. My plan is to have all the boys confessed to Hina-chan in this story, then I will create separate chapters with alternate endings for each of the boys. What do you guys think about it?
> 
> Anyways, we already have Tsukishima confessed on this chapter, making our poor sunshine very confused and torn between him and Osamu-but we know that it's only the start. I wonder who will be next?
> 
> Again, thank you for all of your support and love for this story. See you again next time!


	25. Affection

25.

* * *

In the eyes of his fangirls, Oikawa Tooru is a very handsome and accommodating guy.

He's not the type of person who ignores the attention, in fact, he usually enjoys them. He can spend minutes of his time entertaining the girls- and he finds it very amusing on how the other boys will stare or glare at him in envy. He especially doesn't mind the gifts or more particularly, the food he gets because well, it's free. However, it often comes with a pain everytime Iwa-chan will hit him on the head for taking so long. But hey- at least he has fangirls.

Still, he cannot be a patient guy all the time, especially if he is on a rush and has something important to do. Like right now, as he stood near the bus stop, trying to escape the flock of girls surrounding him. Such is the pain of being the popular guy.

"Sorry girls, but I really need to go." he said for like the fifth time, flashing them one of his charming smiles. Some of them gave a whine of disagreement at this, showing him looks of disappointment. His smile turned to an expression of wary.

"Eh? Do you really have to go right now?"

"But it's only been a minute! Can we at least get a picture?"

"Maybe next time? I don't want to miss my bus." Oikawa responded, glancing at his watch. He started to take some steps away from the group but the girls quickly followed him, blocking his path. He sighed, exasperated, a headache starting to grow inside his head. _Patience, Tooru_. "Look, I really-"

"Tooru-kun!"

A loud voice called his name, and instantly, he felt his heartbeat quickened at a familiar rush of feelings. Whipping his head at the side, he captured a view of her figure rushing towards him, her orange locks out of its usual ponytail- and her smile nervous but welcoming at the same time. For a moment he just stood there, mesmerized, until she managed to tug him at the wrist, slightly making him tumbled out of balance.

"I've been looking for you! Come on, we need to get going or else we'll be late!" she said to him with a meaningful look in her eyes, which he quickly understood. He was not able to respond though, as her attention was already diverted to the number of females looking at the couple in surprise. "Sorry, but we're on a rush right now. Bye!"

"H-hey-"

Before any of them can form any coherent response, the Karasuno volleyball player already pulled her companion for a run, leaving the fangirls gaping at their direction in a frozen trance.

The two continued running until they reached a location far enough for the girls to follow, and they stood there at the side of the street trying to catch their breath. Oikawa was rendered speechless for a moment as he stared at her- _at this girl,_ who is the one invading his thoughts and dreams almost everyday. It felt like forever since the last time he saw her at Karasuno, and the emptiness inside his heart caused by her absence were instantly filled at that moment.

_Oh God, I missed her._

"Shou-chan." he uttered her name as a greeting, and she quickly looked up to him with that big, brown eyes of hers.

"Hi," she greeted back, still panting slightly. "Sorry for dragging you all the way here. I don't think they will follow us anymore."

"I'm not complaining," he responded, a visible smile adorning his lips. "I'm just surprised. I'm not expecting that, Shou-chan."

A little pink dusted her cheeks as she laughs softly, almost embarrassingly. "I thought you needed some help, so I decided to be your hero this time."

"Hero?"

"It's like a reversal of our role. You saved me from a group of guys once, remember?" she reminded him, looking proud at her action.

"Oh yeah, I remember that." he regarded her amusedly, his eyes flashing with a total look of endearment. "Thank you for saving me, hero."

"By the way, what are you doing in that place? Are you waiting for someone?"

The brown-haired former captain faltered at the reminder, as he glanced at his watch again. "Actually, I was waiting for a bus going to the central town. There is a certain movie I needed to watch at 11:30am."

"Eh?!" Hinata exclaimed in alarm, looking at her own phone for the time. "But it's already 11:15! Oh no, I shouldn't have dragged you here! I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's okay. I can just watch it next time."

"But it's not fine-"

"I'll just go with you." He announced jovially, making the girl flabbergasted. Contrary to what she saw earlier with the other girls, he doesn't seem to appear upset at the fact that he missed his movie.

"Huh?"

"Where are you going right now?"

"Uhm, actually..." the gingerhead gestured to her bag, obviously filled with something more than just a purse. "I'm heading to the public library to study. We have an exam on Monday and I can't afford to fail."

"You're alone?" He tilted his head to the side, looking very curious. Hinata just nodded her head.

"Yeah. I don't want to disturb the others on their own studies, and I need more reading materials as a reference. That's why I'm here."

"Then I can teach you some of the subjects! I can be your personal tutor for the day!" he said brightly, confusing her even more.

"Eh? ...Are you sure? Don't you have something more important to do than you know...helping me?"

"Not at the moment. And besides..."

Oikawa sighed, his expression turning very soft, almost shy. When he met her eyes, it was filled with nothing but a warm gaze, something that people can rarely see on his pretty face.

"I missed you, Shou-chan."

Silence befalls the pair. Hinata stared at him with wide eyes, visibly surprised by the words and the tone he used.

But then she remembered how astounded she was when she saw him earlier- easily recognizing his handsome features while he was being surrounded by a group of girls. She remembered how her body automatically went towards his direction at the sight of his wary face, despite her fear of being mobbed by the others. She just knew that he needed her- and she can't deny the happiness she felt for seeing him after such a long time.

Her expression turned serene, as she smiled at him softly. "Yeah. I missed you too, Tooru-kun."

"..."

In that moment, he thought of moving forward to lock her into his arms, to give her a tight hug filled with all the feelings he's been longing to say since the time he realized her meaning to him. He wanted to whisper it to her ears, to let her know how much he cares. Too bad he's such a coward to do so.

Instead, he just stood there, trying to calm the erratic beating of his heart.

_Ah, this is bad._

_..._

_I've fallen too hard._

* * *

"Aww, Shou-chan, you used the wrong word here." Oikawa said, pointing at a sentence she has written on her notes.

"Really? What did I get wrong?"

"It was supposed to be _'has been'_ , not _'have been'_. You're only talking about one subject which is _'she_ '." he explained, encircling the word on her note with his red pen. The girl's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Y-yeah, you're right. Sorry..."

"You're almost there, Shou-chan! You're committing fewer mistakes than before. By the end of the day, I'm sure you'll get this."

"Thanks. I'll try my best." she smiled at him apologetically, while he just chuckled and patted her on the head fondly.

The gingerhead was not kidding when she said she's bad at studying. They've been in the library for a few hours now, and they've only covered three subjects so far. After teaching her about Math and History, their focus right now is on the English subject which is apparently- her worst subject.

Though there's a bit of a struggle, the girl has managed to learn a lot of things from his lesson and for that, she's very grateful. As minutes passed by, she can feel her stomach starting to growl in hunger, reminding her of the time. Glancing at her watch, she grimaced.

It's already 1:30 pm. Oops.

They will need to get out of the library to buy some food.

"Tooru-kun," she called the brown haired captain, who quickly looked up from his phone. "Do you want to go out with me?"

Silence greeted her words as Oikawa just stared at her with a blank expression on his face. Realizing her earlier statement, a blush made its way up to her cheeks.

"I-I don't mean it like that! I'm just asking if you want to go outside t-to buy... food!" she explained, stuttering.

"...oh. Okay." the tall boy just responded. A bit clumsily, Hinata started to pick up her notes and puts it into her bag. A hand reaches out to get one of her books, and she froze when his skin touches hers. When she looked at him, there's a smile on his face that indicates his amusement at her expression.

"Shou-chan, be careful. You can give any boy a heart attack with questions like that."

"I-I know. Sorry..."

His tone suddenly turned merrier. "But if you're going to ask me that question, I won't mind! If Shou-chan wants a date, who am I to say no?"

The gingerhead pouted her lips. "You're teasing me again."

"Because your face is just too cute!"

"...I hate you."

"I like you too!"

The girl tried to give him a playful jab from the side, but he quickly moved away, still chuckling softly.

_I really do._

* * *

Luckily, there were only a few people by the time they entered the cafe.

Hinata and Oikawa easily found a seat near the window, and the girl put out one of her notes while waiting for the waiter to arrive. The brown haired boy stared at her in a slight surprise, noting how serious she looks as she reads.

"You're really taking this very seriously, huh?" he commented, making the gingerhead stare at him. She just gave a small smile.

"Hehe. I need to study hard so that I will not fail again. If I failed, I won't be able to attend the training camp."

"Failed again?"

Her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "Last year, Kageyama and I failed one of our exams... so we arrived at the Tokyo training camp very late."

He chuckled. "Tobio-chan failed too? I never knew he's that dumb."

"I'm sure all in his head is volleyball." she added, before realizing something. "...though I'm also like that. Sometimes..."

"Don't you like studying, Shou-chan?" he asked amusedly, eyes crinkling.

"I hate it..." she pouted. "But it's not like I have any choice..."

They were interrupted when the waiter finally arrived to take their orders. After ordering their lunch and some desserts, they need to wait for another set of minutes before they could eat. Deciding she's too hungry to read properly, Hinata put her notes back to her bag.

"How about you, Tooru-kun? How's your life at your new school?"

Oikawa hummed before responding. "I'm absolutely fine. Less painful at least, since Iwa-chan is not with me anymore."

"Oh...aren't you feeling lonely?"

He laughed. "Well, Iwa-chan is just around my neighborhood, so I can actually see him at least once a week. And also, my classmates are not that bad, so I don't think it's lonely."

"That sounds good." she smiled. "So, you're in the volleyball team, right? How's your new team?"

"They're alright." he answered, before a sour expression appeared on his face. "Most of them, at least. Damn Ushiwaka."

Hinata's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You're teammates with Ushijima-san? That's very amazing!"

"No, it's not!" Oikawa responded, almost pouting. "He's the worst. My first day at practice was ruined because of him! And that voice of him, urgh..." recalling his words, the former Seijo captain tried to imitate Ushijima's face and voice. _"Ah, Oikawa. It seems like fate has finally brought us together._ What a jerk. _"_

"...Maybe you were really destined to team up one day?"

"But Shou-chan, that's not it!" he looked at her in despair. "How can I defeat him if we're on the same team? He's definitely a rival, and there's no way I'll be able to work properly with him-"

"Pftt... Hahaha!"

He stopped. With a bewildered gaze, he watched as Hinata's shoulders shook with laughter, her eyes staring at him with mirth.

"S-sorry..." after several moments she has finally calmed down, though her face still held amusement. "It's just that... you're just like me."

Oikawa just blinked his eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I have the same reaction when I first met Kageyama in Karasuno." she giggled again. "He's my rival from middle school, and I also vowed that I'm going to defeat him one day. I never thought that we're going to end up as teammates in highschool though."

"Tobio-chan is just as annoying as Ushiwaka." he commented, making the girl smile.

"I know, we did not really get along at first." she stated. "But anyway, you do not have to worry about it, Tooru-kun. Everything will be fine."

He sighed. "I'll try."

"I know you can do it." she said to him with absolute confidence. "Your name is _Oikawa Tooru,_ after all."

That ended the conversation as their food already arrived, and the boy became too flustered to speak.

* * *

Several minutes later, the two volleyball players were back in the library, tackling on the last lesson for the day. While Hinata was busy answering the activity on her notes, Oikawa's phone suddenly vibrated from his pocket, indicating a call.

"Shou-chan, I'm just going to take this call, okay?" he informed the gingerhead, who just nodded her head without looking up.

"Sure."

As he stood up from his seat and went towards a secluded corner in the library, the former Seijo captain puts the phone on his ears, greeting his caller in a merry voice.

"Hello, Iwa-chan!"

 _"You finally picked up your phone, you idiot."_ an irritated voice answered from the other line, making the brown-haired voice confused.

"Eh? Have you been calling me all this time?"

 _"Of course! This is like the fifth time!"_ Iwaizumi shouted from the other line. Oikawa winced at the loud sound as he slightly puts the phone away from his hearing.

"Iwa-chan, don't shout! I'm in the library right now!"

_"Library? The hell are you doing there?"_

"Uhm... studying?"

_"You never study, you idiot."_

"Iwa-chan, so mean! Of course I need to study to keep my grades high!"

_"Stop lying."_

Oikawa sighed. "Fine. I'm with someone."

_"Who?"_

"...Shou-chan."

_"You're with Hinata? How?"_

"I just met her on the street. She said she's going to library, so I'm here with her."

_"...Ha. I thought you finally plucked out the courage to ask her out."_

The boy's cheeks heated. "Iwa-chan! You know that I can't do that!"

_"What's stopping you? You never had a problem with getting girlfriends before, so what's the difference here?"_

"You don't understand, Iwa-chan." his tone turned different, almost sad. "She's... different."

_"What do you mean?"_

"I think she will never take me seriously." he responded. "If I told Shou-chan how I feel, she might think it's just a non-serious flirting. She's always asking me to stop teasing her."

 _"Because that's the problem, dumbass. You're the one not taking this seriously."_ Iwaizumi scoffed from the other side. _"Do you really like her or not?"_

"Of course I like her! I like Shou-chan so much!" he responded heatedly. "I just don't know what to do if she rejected me."

_"Then respect her decision if that happens! But right now, just man up and confess!"_

"I-"

The sound of a book dropping on the ground interrupted what Oikawa was about to say, and he quickly turns around. He then stilled, and his mouth went dry.

"Uhm... I-I'm just returning these books..." Hinata Shouyou reasoned out, her cheeks flaming red. She picked the book from the floor and quickly returned it to a shelf, not really checking if it's the correct section or not. Her eyes are refusing to meet his and she looks very nervous, an indication that she has heard his conversation. Oikawa pressed the end call button on his phone, not hearing his bestfriend's protest, and he dropped his gaze on the ground, face incredibly flustered.

A moment passed by with neither of them moving.

"I-uhm... I think I've already learned enough today, s-so we can now go home, I guess..." she continued to stutter.

"Sh-Shou-chan..." he started, not knowing what to say.

"I-I'll be going ahead now. Thanks for teaching me, Tooru-kun. B-Bye!" she turned on her heel and scampered away from him quickly. He heard the sound of her clumsily picking up her things, then the hurried sound of footsteps and the closing of the door, before a complete silence filled the room.

Oikawa put his hands on his face and groaned, feeling like an idiot.

_That's so careless! It's not supposed to be like this!_

He took a deep breath and moved his hands inside his pockets, leaning on the shelf and staring at the direction of the door somberly.

_But she just left..._

He scared her completely. Though it hurts, he completely understand why she suddenly run away. If only he acted brave enough and told her genuinely how he feels, it would not end like this.

_"Because that's the problem, dumbass. You're the one not taking this seriously."_

He paused and thought about Iwaizumi's words. After a while, his expression cleared up and a look of determination appeared on his face.

_It should not end like this._

In just a few seconds he was already out of the door, running through the streets and searching for Hinata.

_Where is she?_

He continued running while his eyes are looking hopefully at the crowd, only stopping when he turned into a corner and has bumped into someone. He could have just said sorry and move forward, if not for the sight of the person's orange hair.

She came back.

"Shou-"

"I-I'm so sorry!" she suddenly exclaimed, eyes a bit glassy. "After all the help you did...I'm so terrible, leaving you alone like that... sorry...I'm just-"

He can't help it anymore. The remaining space between them was gone as he puts his arms around her neck and pulled her closer, smelling the sweet scent of her hair as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Tooru-kun...?"

"Thank you for coming back."

They stayed like that for a while, before the boy finally lets her go. He then took her hands and she followed his steps, both of them walking silently until they reached the bus stop. Glancing at him from the side, Hinata finally opened her mouth after a long moment of hesitation.

"Tooru-kun, I'm really sorry for running away like that..."

The warmth on her hand was gone as he turned around to face her, and her cheeks turned pink at the handsome, affectionate smile he threw at her.

"It's fine! It's my fault anyway."

"Well... is it true? What I heard-"

"I really like you." he finally confessed, and the gingerhead's immediate reaction is to gape at him and blush madly.

Oikawa sighed as he runs his fingers through his hair, his face the same color as hers. "I'm just sad that you found it out that way."

"I-I..." she stated, visibly surprised. "I never expected that someone like you would think of me that way..."

"You're a wonderful person, Shou-chan. Anyone would like you." he stated warmly. Silence permitted the area as the girl failed to give a response, her eyes on the ground as she shifted restlessly.

"Ah, there's your bus." the brown-haired boy stated suddenly, jolting the girl from her thoughts as she raised her head in alarm.

"W-wait, it's here already? B-but..."

"It's okay, Shou-chan." he moved closer and ruffled her hair fondly. "I'll be waiting."

"Huh?"

"You don't have to answer me now. But I promise that I'll do my best to make you like me ~" he winked, rendering her speechless once more.

Before the bus can make a complete halt in front of them, Hinata gasped softly as he embraced her once more, his cool breath on her ears.

"Just five more seconds."

_Ah, this is so nice._

Despite the events, Oikawa felt rather relieved at what happened. He's finally done it, Iwa-chan will be so proud. Still, the fear on his heart remains.

Possible rejection. He'll just deal with it when it comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, here's the 25th chapter!
> 
> Oikawa is seriously one of the most difficult characters to write, and I'm not even sure if I did him well on this chapter. But well, that's another confession done and there's two more to go! It might not happen immediately on the next chapter though-well, it depends on what ideas will come into my mind.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for reading and supporting this story!


	26. Prompts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A collection of reactions and awkward moments upon seeing a female player inside a male volleyball's court. Requested by Tahitiseabreeze.
> 
> Also entitled "What's a girl doing in a men's volleyball team?"

**26.1.**

Hinata Shouyou is definitely an anomaly in the Karasuno's male volleyball team.

First of all, she's a girl. When asked why she did not join the female volleyball team instead, she just answered that she's more comfortable playing with the boys (don't get her wrong- Michimiya-san and her teammates are absolute angels) and that one of her original goals is to defeat a certain Kageyama Tobio in a match. It's just too bad that they're on the same school.

With that being said, her joining the team has actually created a lot of fun and interesting moments. However, it can't be helped that sometimes, things can get pretty embarrassing and awkward...

"What the hell are you doing, boke?!" Kageyama exclaimed in alarm, staring wide-eyed at the gingerhead beside him. She was already halfway through lifting her shirt when she paused and looked back at him, blinking her eyes in confusion.

"Changing?"

The setter's face has suddenly becomes very hot, his blue eyes trying hard (and failing) not to look at her exposed skin.

"I know that! What I'm asking is why are you changing HERE?!"

The girl just shrugged her shoulders in an uncaring manner. "Our match is about to start. And besides, I'm wearing a sports bra, so it's not a big deal-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL?!"

The setter's loud voice definitely caught the other boys' attention, and they all whipped their heads at the direction of the two first years, wondering what's going on.

And then they all understood, as their eyes all widened and their faces flushed red at the sight.

The second years were the first to look away, including even Tanaka and Nishinoya who were both suddenly busy tying the strings of their shoes.

Tsukishima suddenly choked on his drink and he immediately turned to the side, coughing softly. Beside him, Yamaguchi just settled on covering his eyes with his hands, wobbling slightly to the side as if he's about to faint.

Daichi face-palmed loudly, the sound of his palm meeting his skin was drowned by Asahi's mortified shriek.

"Hi-Hinata!"

Sugawara just whimpered quietly.

Back at the duo, the decoy's expression turned to that of annoyance at her partner's loud response.

"Hah? You've all seen me like this a lot of times, so I don't understand what you're being angry for!"

"I-I..." Kageyama was struck speechless for a few moments, his face getting hotter and hotter. "T-This is different!"

"Whatever. I'm changing!"

And then just like a super ninja in a super awesome movie, Sugawara was immediately at her side, his hand grabbing her wrist before she can completely remove her shirt.

"Sugawara-san?" Hinata was looking at him in a complete surprise, as if she doesn't know what's wrong.

She _really_ doesn't know.

The vice captain cleared his throat before speaking, managing to make his voice sound calm despite his misery.

"Hinata."

"Yes?"

"Please go with Shimizu and change somewhere else. Not here, okay?"

"But it's only my shirt-"

"Please." It almost sounds like he's pleading-which is actually the truth and what he's really trying to do.

And it's also the truth that Hinata sometimes tend to change into her uniform inside the gym, a thing that the team is already getting used to. It's not really that bad because most of the time she's still wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath- but a sports bra is a bit too much as they can see too much skin.

That, and the fact that they are actually on a practice match today- which means that the other team will see her.

Has already seen her.

At the gym's entrance, the entire Nekoma team just stood frozen. All of them are staring at the scene with wide eyes and pink cheeks- except for a certain mohawk-haired guy who has already fainted on the floor and a puddinghead setter who is already looking away, blushing heavily.

With a smile on his face, Sugawara promptly tugs down Hinata's shirt, before wordlessly giving her to Shimizu- who also silently took the girl's hand to lead her out of the gym. The silence on the gym remains as Sugawara and Daichi faced the team of cats- who are all refusing to meet their gaze.

"Not.A.Word." the team mom started, his eyes flashing dangerously. Beside him, the Karasuno captain nodded his head, producing an intimidating aura that almost sent the poor Shibayama into tears.

"Let me set the record straight. You saw nothing today. Nothing happened. Hinata's not here a while ago. Okay?"

"Yesss... sir..."

The cats may have already beaten the crows a lot of times- but they have to admit that no other teams are scarier than this one.

* * *

**26.2.**

Hinata certainly did not create a very good first impression during the Karasuno and Seijou practice match.

Feeling so pressured and nervous, her play becomes so sloppy and clumsy. She bumped into her teammates a lot of times, has stolen some receives that were not supposed to be hers, has almost knocked down the referee from his pedestal, and has driven Kageyama into an extreme rage which could have resulted into a beating if only she's not a girl.

From the side, Coach Irihata gave a sigh of relief as the first set has ended. His players gathered in front of him, panting slightly but looks totally unbothered at the result of the game.

"Well, that was unexpected." Maki started, wiping his sweat with a towel.

"Unexpected? Do you mean the girl?" Iwaizumi asked, bringing the water bottle on his lips. "I was surprised too."

"Yeah, her. And the result too." the light-haired boy clarified. "I thought they're going to score more."

"I hate to say this, but that number five messed up." Matsukawa pointed out. "What's a girl doing in a boy's team anyway?"

"She's just nervous. I bet she's afraid of Kageyama." Kindaichi said, a bit smugly. From where he's standing, he watched as the raven-haired setter cornered the poor gingerhead girl, who looks as if she was about to die. "If he keeps that kind of attitude, I don't think any of his teammates would be able to play calmly."

"That's bad. She's kinda cute, though." Yahaba commented, following his kohai's line of sight. "Hey, do you think she'll agree if I'll ask her to be our manager instead?"

"I don't think that's possible, Yahaba-san. First of all, she's not from our school-"

"Hey guys, listen. I know that we won the first set, but you should still take the second set seriously." Coach Mizoguchi interrupted them, frowning slightly. The head coach just nodded his head in agreement, making all the boys silent and attentive.

"I don't think they will let that number five play as a regular if she doesn't have something special." the old coach reminded them wisely. "They might have a surprise for us on this next set, so I hope all of you will still do your best on this match."

Well, he's definitely not wrong.

Just a few minutes after the second set started, the whole gymnasium was brought into a stunned silence at the first display of the Karasuno's freakish quick attack. It all happened so fast- one moment the ball was just about to touch Kageyama's hand and the next second, a resounding thud was already heard at the Seijou's side of the court. From where they are sitting, both coaches of the Aoba Johsai team sighed after their initial shock was gone.

"This is what I'm talking about." Coach Mizoguchi said, shaking his head.

Kindaichi first blinked his eyes in confusion, before he turned his stare at the back of the court where the ball has landed. Kunimi did the same, his eyes unusually wide and staring unbelievably at the sight of the ball rolling beside their frozen team libero, Watari. Iwaizumi and Hanamaki remained rooted on their spot, both of their mouths hanging open in disbelief. Matsukawa whistled softly, very impressed at the speed of the attack.

"All right!" the first year duo shouted, and only then did the remaining audience broke into loud chatters and exclamations of shock.

"Nice spike, Hinata and Kageyama!"

"Ohhhh!"

"What the hell?!"

"That was fast!"

"Is it the girl who just spiked that? She's amazing!"

"Oi... that kawaii girl can do a quick attack?" Yahaba asked Kindaichi, his cheeks pink as he watched the gingerhead jumping up and down happily.

"Something definitely changed from the first set." the turnip head responded, his eyes focused on Kageyama warily.

The second set continued with a lot more surprises, and the Seijou team learned that Hinata was not just a scorer, but a very effective decoy as well. Everyone including the coaches and the student audience were so focused on the game that the arrival of the missing team captain went unnoticed.

From the door, a pair of chocolate brown eyes watches the ongoing match, a slightly surprised expression on his face at the sight of the current score. While they were not the best team on the prefecture, it is unusual for his team to lose a set against an unknown team. Looking at the players, a feeling of displeasure coiled inside him at the sight of Kageyama Tobio, but it did not last that long after noticing the very short player beside his kohai. He blinked his eyes a lot of times.

_Wow. This is so interesting._

With an amused smile on his lips, he finally entered the court just as the referee announced the end of the second set. The screams of his fan girls immediately greeted his ears, but his eyes remained at the players of the opposite team, particularly at someone with a bright colored hair. Her brown eyes stared back at him curiously, and his smile grew as he realized how cute her face is.

"Oh, you're back, Oikawa. How's your leg?"

He kept his stare at her face for a few more moments, before he turned his attention to his coach.

"It's okay. I can now go back to practice~"

* * *

**26.3.**

"Hey! They're still at it! We made it in time!"

The volleyball players glanced at the doorway at the sound of it being opened, and most of them stared curiously at the sight of a blonde-haired woman smiling in relief.

"Saeko nee-san!" Nishinoya suddenly exclaimed, making Asahi glanced between the libero and the woman back and forth.

"Is she your sister?"

"No! She's Ryuu's!"

"So the stars are showing up fashionably late? How annoying." Kuroo commented. Kenma perked up from his side, looking at the door expectantly.

Saeko smirked and moved aside, prompting the Karasuno first years to finally step inside the gym, both panting heavily.

The first thing that Kageyama noticed upon entering the gym were the stares. It usually doesn't bother him as he's already used to the stares being sent his way (thanks to his kingly title), but he noticed that it's not focused on him this time.

It's all on Hinata.

Well, it's something that can already be expected as it's their first time meeting the Tokyo teams aside from Nekoma, but it doesn't mean that it's okay. More so after hearing some of their comments.

"It's a girl!"

"They have another girl on the team? Man, this is so unfair!"

"She's so cute and tiny! But can she really play?"

Kageyama's eyebrow twitched.

_We'll show you._

Several minutes later, most of the attention were on the court where Karasuno's match is already starting. Still curious and a bit skeptical at the abilities of the two first years, the other team players just stood on the side, talking among themselves.

"So she's really a player huh."

"Is that even allowed?"

"I think so? She has already played at the tournament after all."

"There's got to be a reason why she's there. Let's just watch."

"Ne, Kuroo! Why didn't you tell me that one of the Karasuno's duo is a girl?"

"Huh? You never asked."

"Seriously?! But this is important!"

"Bokuto-san, your voice is too loud."

From his position at the court, the Karasuno setter tried to hide his smirk.

_Just watch and see._

As the ball was sent on his way after Nishinoya's receive, Kageyama readied himself to set the ball. Hinata run towards the center of the court, and in a speed faster than a blink of an eye, he pin-point tossed the ball right into her palm.

The sound of the ball hitting the floor echoed throughout the gym, followed by the gingerhead's loud cheer.

"Yes! That's an awesome set, Kageyama!"

The raven haired setter just nodded his head, satisfied.

The other teams on the other hand, just blinked their eyes in total confusion and shock. From the Nekoma team, Lev seems to be the only one surprised, as he stared at the the girl with his jaw dropped.

"EH?!"

"That's so freakin' fast! Did the setter even touched the ball?"

"That girl's jump is so amazing! Now I know why!"

"Did you see that, Akaashi?! They're so cool! Those first years are so cool!"

"I know and I saw it, Bokuto-san. I'm just standing right beside you."

"I want to play with them now!"

The rest of the Karasuno team just smiled to themselves, feeling relieved.

They can finally win a match today.

* * *

**26.4.**

"So... are you really a girl?"

"...What? Of course I'm a girl!"

After staring at him dumbly for a few seconds, Hinata Shouyou bristled and gave Hoshiumi Korai a look of utter annoyance.

Kageyama gave the second year wing spiker a look of disbelief while his teammate, Hirugami, just groaned and covered his face in shame.

After their match has ended, the Kamomedai ace approached the two Karasuno first years who were watching them from the side. And out of all the first things that he can do, he asked that stupid question to the girl. What an idiot.

"So you mean to say that you're a girl who can jump that high? That speed...those quick spikes... how can you do that? What kind of girl are you?"

"H-huh?" a tick mark appeared on the girl's forehead as her eyes flashed dangerously. "What's with that question? Of course I can do all of it because I can! Are you insulting me just because I'm a girl?"

The white-haired boy doesn't seem to be fazed by her outbursts as he just continued to stare at her with a very serious look. Finally, he decided to broke his silence. "Marry me."

And then there was the silence.

"...Hah?" Kageyama uttered, not believing his ears. Hirugami just stared at his teammate, looking a bit impressed.

Hinata remained dumbfounded. "...What did you just say?"

"I said marry me." he suddenly took some steps closer, making the girl's eyes widened in alarm. He then took her hands. "We're just the same. We're both aiming to achieve big things despite of adversity, and having that kind of attitude is definitely admirable. You're aiming to be the next Little Giant too, right? You and me... together we can prove all of them wrong! After this tournament, we can-"

_Smack!_

"Kageyama. Let's go." Hinata turned to her frozen teammate, one of her palms red and shaking. The raven haired setter gulped in fear at the sight of her eyes and for the first time in his life, he realized how scary a girl can get.

He momentarily removed his gaze from her face, and then meets the equally frightened eyes of Hirugami.

"S-sure." he muttered in response, bowing his head first at the Kamomedai players before following the steps of his seething teammate.

Hoshiumi and Hirugami just watched them go, the former looking utterly confused.

"..."

"..."

"...Did she just... slap me?"

"...Yeah. And you deserve it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the latest chapter!
> 
> The last part with Hoshiumi is really a fun thing to write, but I don't know if he will really do that based on his personality. But this is just a fanfiction, anyways. :-D
> 
> The next chapter will probably be uploaded by the first week of June, depending on how much I can write. Until then, please continue supporting this story and comments/reviews are much appreciated.
> 
> Until next time! Thanks for reading!


	27. Silent confession

27.

* * *

It took him a whole minute before he realized that he was staring.

Blinking his cat-like eyes, Kenma turned his attention back at the DVDs he's holding, skimming over the titles distractively. The windows of his room are widely open, permitting the cool night breeze to enter and brush his skin, making him involuntarily shiver. Despite this, his face remains warm and his palms sweaty, which is actually caused by his fluttering nerves.

A soft hum in front of him caught his attention, and he subtly glanced at the girl in front of him for like the tenth time for the day.

Wearing a thoughtful look, Hinata Shouyou reads each title of the movies like what Kenma has been doing. She looks really nice- wearing a red jumper pants on top of a white blouse, and it's the very first time he has seen her with something other than a sports attire. She styled her brightly-colored hair into two low pigtails, and peaking at the top of it is a cat ear headband, courtesy of one Kuroo Tetsuro.

_("Why are you putting this on my head?"_

_"Because it's cute. And besides, it will make Kenma happy."_

_"Shut up, Kuro.")_

"What do you think, Kenma?" she suddenly asked, tilting her face up to stare at his. Caught off guard, he jolted slightly and looked down at what he's holding. "Uhm... I can't choose yet..."

"Me too. All of this are... ah..." she gestured at the DVDs embarrassingly. "...scary movies..."

"Sorry. I should have known that you don't like horror movies."

"Oh, no need to say sorry! It's not like I'm very scared of them..." she denied unconvincingly, before sighing in defeat. "Uhm, maybe a little bit. Tsukki took me to a horror movie once and it's not a pleasant experience."

The setter paused. "Tsukki?"

"Yeah... and anyways! I don't want you to feel uncomfortable if I suddenly hug you or jump into your lap or something..." she trailed off, mind drifting off to one particular memory. Her cheeks turned pink at the recall and she shook her head, distracting herself once more with the pile of movies she hasn't touched yet.

Meanwhile, several scenarios came into Kenma's mind at her words, enough for his face to turn scarlet. He doesn't have an imagination like Yamamoto or maybe like Kuroo, but the thought of being alone with a girl in his room at this time of night is making him really nervous. Not to mention that she's going to be sleeping here as well.

How did it even come to this?

* * *

"So... what's the plan?" Kuroo suddenly asked him a few days ago, having visited his room to tutor him about Chemistry.

Though he already has an idea what the former captain was talking about, Kenma still gave an air of obliviousness. "Plan on what?"

"Your birthday." his friend elaborated, raising an eyebrow. The puddinghead setter paused at writing, his brows slightly furrowing at Kuroo's confirmation.

"Mom wants all of my friends to come." he muttered as a response, making his companion grin.

Personally, he'd rather spend his birthday alone in his room instead of throwing a party with everyone, but his mother said otherwise. It's his last year in highschool, she said. Aside from that, she wants to meet his friends as he never invited any of them at their home (except Kuroo)- and Kenma knew that she just wanted to prove if he's lying or not about socializing with others.

"I already texted everyone from the team, including Kai and Yaku." his tutor said, waving his phone at him jovially.

"Aren't the two of them busy at the university?"

"Nope. We're actually texting a lot of times, so I know." Kuroo flopped down on his friend's bed and turned to his side, facing his study desk. "Are you also going to invite chibi-chan?"

Kenma thought before giving his answer. The truth is, he's contemplating on this matter since yesterday and up to the present, he's still undecided.

Inviting her will bring a lot of complications-with those teammates of hers as his first problem. He knows how overprotective they are when it comes to their female middle blocker, especially those _two_ from her year. Second, his own teammates will probably tease him relentlessly about his crush and he can already imagine the awkwardness in the party if that happens. Third and possibly the worst, his mom. He knew what will come into her mind if she saw his only female friend.

"...I don't think so." he answered after a while. "She lives very far away, after all."

"But aren't they going to be in Tokyo for a two-days training camp? Your birthday is on the second day, so why don't you invite her after that?"

"You know how her teammates will react. And how our team will react."

"If you're referring to Lev and Yamamoto, I can make them shut up." Kuroo tried to convince him. "And as for her teammates, I don't think they can stop her if she wants to attend your birthday herself. They will throw a fit for sure, but I know that they wouldn't worry that much if it's you. They already know what your personality is like."

Still unconvinced, Kenma stared at his friend with a conflicting look. "How about mom?"

Kuroo blinked at first before laughing. "Oh... then you have to convince her that you're not bringing home a girlfriend!"

"You're not helping..."

"But seriously," the bedhead gave him a grin. "Do you want her to come or not?"

His cheeks turned pink as he mumbled. "Of course I want her too."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem! Have a little backbone, will you?" Kuroo tried to cheer him up while patting him several times on the back. His answer was just a scowl.

Despite his worries, Kenma later found himself texting her that night. As his phone beeped with her initial response, he fumbled for his phone nervously.

_[Hinata Shouyou- 7:15pm]_

_Really?! I didn't know your birthday is coming soon! I'll ask mom first!_

Before he can type out his short answer, another message popped out of his phone's screen.

_[Hinata Shouyou- 7:16pm]_

_She said yes!_

He blinked his eyes in surprise.

_Ah, that was fast. I'm surprised she agreed._

_Beep._

_[Hinata Shouyou- 7:19pm]_

_I think she likes you! She said you're a good boy!_

Heat crept up on his cheeks at her response, and he smiled softly. He met her mom and sister last year when he spent an overnight at their house, and Mrs. Hinata is probably one of the sweetest people he has ever met, tending to him like he's her own son. Shouyou's little sister is a very adorable kid, seemingly shy at first but then eventually spent her day sticking to his side, watching him play with his games. Overall they're a very nice family.

_I'm glad. See you soon, then._

He typed out his response for the last time, before closing his phone and turning to his PSP.

* * *

As expected, Shouyou's teammates were not very happy when she announced that she's not going home with the rest of them.

"Why do you have to stay with him?" Kageyama almost whined, scowling back and forth at his teammate and at the puddinghead setter.

"It's his birthday! And besides, my parents agreed already, so there's no problem with that." she explained.

"Are you sure you know how to travel home alone? You might get lost!"

"Don't worry, Tanaka-san! I know which station I should get off to, so I'm sure I'm not going to be lost."

"But Shouyou! There are lots of perverts on the train!"

"I'll be careful, promise!"

"Tch. Why are you all bothering her? If she wants to go, let her be. If something bad happens, it's not our fault." Tsukishima mouthed.

"Tsukki, that's mean!" Yamaguchi whispered-shouted, giving the girl an apologetic look.

Hinata opened her mouth to retaliate, but the stormy look that Tsukishima gave her made her pause. Knowing that she can't do anything about it for now, she just pursed her lips and begged at him through her eyes. He just sighed before turning away, going towards the entrance of the bus with Yamaguchi closely following behind.

If anyone else noticed the exchange, they did not comment about it.

Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei didn't seem to mind it that much and they even greeted Kenma a happy birthday, but both asked him to take care of the girl while she's in his care. Ennoshita did the same along with an apology on how some of his teammates reacted, but the Nekoma setter just waved it off saying it's fine.

After convincing her teammates and Yachi that she will be fine and that _no_ -Kenma will not do something like that, she bid them all goodbye as the Karasuno's bus started driving away.

She turned to the rest of the Nekoma team after the bus has gone, smiling cutely as they told them that they can now go. She even changed her outfit for the special occassion, and Yamamoto can't help but weep in joy at her appearance (which didn't last as Yaku gave him a loud smack on the head).

They met Kuroo on their way to Kenma's house, and he flashed them his usual Cheshire grin while greeting them loudly. His smile widened as he spotted the little gingerhead, ruffling her hair in a playful manner.

"Chibi-chan! Did you grow even smaller?" he greeted, earning a scowl from the Karasuno player. She tried swatting his hand away.

"Rude! As if your hair improved a bit, Kuroo-san!" she retaliated, producing a round of laughter from the surrounding Nekoma players. Kenma just sighed exasperatedly.

_So noisy..._

By the time they were in front of Kenma's house, the darkness has already settled in. His mom greeted them jovially from the doorway, giving each of her son's friend a friendly smile as they introduced themselves and entered the household. She then paused upon seeing the very lone female visitor, staring at the girl silently from head to toe.

"G-good evening, Mrs. Kozume! My name is Hinata Shouyou, and I'm Kenma's friend from another school!" the gingerhead greeted, bowing her head cutely at the gaping woman.

"Oh my, what a cute girl you are! Come in, come in!" Mrs. Kozume said happily, giving her son a sideway look. Kenma just groaned.

The birthday party (if he will call it like that) is nothing special, but it was very loud and lively-something very foreign to a quiet dwelling like the Kozume household. After serving them the foods, Mrs. Kozume disappeared from the living room to give the teenagers their own time to bond, leaving her quiet son to suffer from all the noises he brought home. After a few passionate singing rounds with the karaoke machine (mainly by Lev and Yamamoto), the team gathered around the table to give the setter their birthday gifts.

"Kenma-san! I bought this shirt for you!"

Kenma unfolded the red shirt that Lev practically shoved on his face, and saw the very large, bolded 'MY SETTER' text printed on the front.

"I have the same shirt! It has a 'MY ACE' written on it, so we're really like partners now!"

He almost deadpanned. "Er... thanks..."

"Hey, I'm the ace of the team, not you!" Yamamoto exclaimed, giving his kohai a scary look. "And you call that a gift, huh? That's so not-manly, compared to the pair of manly socks I bought for Kenma!"

"Dumbass. When did socks become manly?" Yaku muttered.

"Kenma-san! Look at these cute little neko and inu phone charms that Shibayama and I have found!" Inuoka piped in, waving the items at the puddinghead's face.

While the others are busy laughing and giving their gifts to the birthday boy, Kuroo noticed the quiet girl from his side looking rather uncomfortable and unhappy. "What's wrong, chibi-chan?"

"I forgot my gift." Hinata answered softly as she turned to him with a miserable look in her eyes. "I just realized it now while I was searching in my bag. I must have left it at home because I'm rushing to get into school yesterday morning. What am I going to do?"

He raised a brow. "That's unfortunate. But I think Kenma wouldn't mind it at all."

"But it's his birthday, so I must give him something! I'm such a horrible friend, forgetting an important thing like that." she continued in distraught and he just stared.

After humming in thought, the former Nekoma captain leaned forward to whisper in her ears, tone laced with mischief. "You know, there is something that you can give him instead that will make him really happy."

"Huh? What is it?" the gingerhead whispered back, desperately curious. A small grin appeared on Kuroo's face before he finally whispered the words, and he watched in amusement as the girl's face turned incredibly red.

"W-what? Why are you suggesting such thing?!"

"I'm just trying to help. Trust me, he'll like it."

"That sounds really absurd."

"You think so? But how would you know?"

Hinata just kept her mouth shut and turned her gaze away from him, pouting.

The celebration ended just an hour later, and both Kenma and Hinata stood by the door to said goodbye to the Nekoma players. Mrs. Kozume already bid them goodbye earlier, before she excused herself to find an extra futon for Hinata's sleepover.

"Kenma, you're such a sly, manipulative pixie. How did you manage to have Hinata-chan agree on sleeping here?" Yamamoto whispered loudly to the setter, eyes tearing up in envy.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Will you please just go home already?"

"I want to sleep with Hina-chan too!" Lev complained loudly and in an instant, he was kicked on the back by Yaku.

"Just shut your mouth! That definitely sounds so wrong! What are you, a pervert?!" the libero seethed, as he harshly grabbed the poor boy by the collar to drag him out.

"Alright, alright. Let's all get out now." Kuroo grabbed the squaking Yamamoto by the head, forcing him to face the door. "Bye Kenma, bye chibi-chan! Have a nice sleep!"

The rest of the team followed suit and said goodbye to the two friends. A moment of silence passed by as the door finally closed, and only faint shouts of protests were heard from the outside.

"Kenma?" Mrs. Kozume's voice sounded from the upstairs, and the two friends turned to look. "Can you come here for a moment? I have to hand you this futon while I'm looking for extra pillows."

"Coming, mom." the puddinghead responded, pausing a bit as he stared at his friend. "Um, you can go ahead inside my room and wait for me there. I'll be back in a bit."

"Do you need any help?" the girl asked as both of them ascended the stairs going towards his room.

"It's fine. It's just a futon." he felt suddenly flustered as they both stood outside his door. _I can't believe that she's going to sleep inside my room..._

His hand turned the doorknob open and he shyly gestured for her to get inside. "Please come in..."

"Thanks." she smiled at him appreciatively as she walked passed him, putting her bag on the side of his bed and staring around in wonder. Kenma sighed softly before walking away, leaving the door slightly ajar.

As he entered his parent's room, his mother's playful smile greeted him, prompting him to frown in displeasure.

"She's cute. Is she someone special?" she asked, staring at her son amusedly.

"Shouyou's just my friend. Please stop teasing me, mom." he muttered, wincing suddenly as his mother started to pinch his cheek.

"My little boy is growing up. I can't wait to tell your father about this."

"Please don't." he said, giving a tired sigh.

Sometimes he wondered if they're really his parents.

* * *

Back at the present, the two decided on just watching _How to train your dragon_ , which is apparently one of her favorite films. After getting some leftover popcorn from the kitchen, Kenma flopped down beside the girl, both of them leaning their backs at the side of his bed. As the film started, Hinata began talking excitedly, telling him how this is one of her favorite shows and even mindlessly spouting some spoilers to her companion. Kenma just listened amusedly.

"Dragons are really amazing don't you think?"

"...Yeah, I think they are. They're most often the final boss in the games and are very hard to defeat."

"I know, right? I had a debate with Kageyama once on which is cooler between dragons and dinosaurs- but Tsukishima suddenly piped in saying that dragons aren't even real. I can't believe those two have teamed up against me."

At the mention of her blonde teammate, a certain memory crossed Kenma's mind, which intrigues him greatly.

"Shouyou." he asked, eyes not leaving the screen. "You mentioned that you went with Tsukishima to a film, right?"

He can sense the surprise and confusion coming from the girl as she tilted her head to him. "Yeah... what about it?"

"Did you go out on a date with him?" he bluntly asked, looking at her directly in the eyes. Despite the dark, he knew that the girl's face has become very flustered as her eyes widened and her mouth parted open in shock.

"I... ah..." she hesitated. "Sort of? It's actually very complicated..." At his long stare, she gave in and proceeded to tell him the whole story- only leaving out the part at the swings. The setter's face remained unreadable for a moment, before finally returning his gaze at the tv screen.

"Is that so? That sounds very troublesome."

_"He likes you, didn't he?"_

He wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut. He was actually watching their interaction earlier and based on their reactions, he knew that something has changed between the two. Aside from that, it's obvious that she left out some part from her story, but he can easily understand what the blonde has been doing.

"Hey, Kenma." the girl's voice interrupted his thoughts once more. "I realized that I haven't greeted you a happy birthday yet."

He blinked his eyes in confusion. "Oh. Really?"

"Yeah... and I also have to say sorry because I forgot to bring my gift. I'm so terrible." she apologized with her head bowed.

"It's alright, you don't have to get me anything, Shouyou." he assured her, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "I'm already fine with you attending my birthday."

"Okay...but still..." she responded, staring at him unsurely and nervously. She fidgeted a bit from her place, eyes wandering back and forth between the floor and his face. He started to open his mouth to ask what's wrong, before halting as she suddenly leaned forward in an instant decision.

Her soft lips planted itself on his right cheek, and the sensation brought mixed feelings of embarrassment and excitement inside him. Once she pulled away, she just sat there in front of him with her hands on her lap, looking very shy.

"H-happy birthday, Kenma."

"..."

Heat immediately spread on his entire face and he suddenly felt wobbly even on his sitting position. He decided to pull his knees on a fetal position, hiding his entire face on it.

"K-Kenma? Are you okay?!" Hinata exclaimed in panic, moving closer to him to see what's wrong.

"I'm fine." he replied, trying very hard to simmer down his blush. He unhide his face and rested his chin on his knees, eyes staring at the side distractedly. "I'm just... surprised."

"Sorry! I thought that I can give you a birthday kiss instead since I don't have a gift right now!" she explained; face color rivaling his in a complete embarrassment. _Why did I even listen to Kuroo-san?_ "I-I'll just take it back... but wait, no I can't! W-what am I saying?! Can you just hit me?! This is so embarassing-... ah?"

She felt a soft, warm pressure at her cheek, and it took her a moment to realize that Kenma has actually kissed her back. While the girl was distracted by her ramblings, the setter can't help but stare at her face, finding the sight utterly adorable. Before he can stop himself, he has already made a move. The stunned girl watched as he slowly tried to resume his earlier normal sitting position, his face still warm but only faintly.

"Thank you." he mumbled softly, cat-like eyes staring at her dotingly. "You don't have to say sorry, Shouyou. I'm actually happy."

"O-oh." She's sure that her face really resembles a tomato now. "T-that's good."

The two then turned their gazes back to the forgotten screen, smiling softly to themselves. As the gingerhead scooted a little closer, Kenma found himself not minding how their shoulders touched and how her body next to him makes him feel warmer and warmer as seconds passed by.

* * *

Kenma stared down at the girl sleeping on his futon. Only a few minutes were left before the end of the second film, but Hinata finally gave in to her exhaustion and fell into a deep slumber. Considering the number of grueling matches they had until the afternoon and the birthday celebration thereafter, it's really weird how he's still awake up to this point.

Sighing softly, he noiselessly moved from his position, kneeling beside the girl before completely lifting her up in a bridal style using all of his strength. He wobbled slightly as he stood up, but he eventually managed to take the few steps towards his bed and finally settled her head down on his own pillow. He grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed to cover her body up, before he paused at the sight of her pretty face.

His gaze softened at her peaceful expression and without another thought, he moved his fingers to brush away the loosed strands of hair from her face.

"I like you, Shouyou." he murmured. "I like you more than just a friend."

Her face slightly twitched before she turned to her side- making his heart almost stop, and he finally relaxed when he realized that she's still asleep. Slowly, he moved towards his futon and covered himself with his blanket, heart thudding inside his chest loudly. He sighed and forced his eyes shut.

_I wish I can say these things to you clearly and loudly one day._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, my dearest readers!
> 
> First of all, I'm so sorry for updating this late. Things didn't go smoothly on my schedule and we had an unplanned trip last week- hence the delay. :-(
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you will like how Kenma took his confession on this chapter- which is something that you might have not expected. Since the boy knows how Hinata will react if he will suddenly do what the others did (please give her a break huhu), he actually toned down a bit- only voicing out his feelings on a time he knew she wasn't really listening. But no worries, he will have his own happy ending as I promised.
> 
> Again, thank you for everyone who supports this story! All your feedback and likes are gold- a treasure that a writer like me will always cherish. See you again on the next chapter!
> 
> P.S. Kenma's birthday is in October, which is days before the Miyagi Spring tournament. Based on canon, Karasuno can still go for a practice match in Tokyo during these days- so I made them do it again on this story.


End file.
